Ink
by niceoneBlondie
Summary: AU. Naomi had a throbbing headache and no recollection of the night before. She quickly realized that not only was her head hurting, so was her wrist. As she stared down at it in disbelief, she tried to remember how the letter E got tattooed on her skin.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Her head was throbbing as she slowly opened her dry, tired eyes. _Christ! Why do I let him talk me into these things?! _The daylight was illuminating the room just enough for her to do her morning check. _I'm in my room, in my bed. Good. _She tested out her level of hungover-ness. _Turn head to the left. Not bad. And to the right. A bit squishy between the ears, but I don't think I'm going to be sick. Excellent. _

As she scanned her brain for any memories of the previous night, she was quickly interrupted as she realized that it was not only her head that was throbbing, but also her right wrist. _Must have scraped it on something. Lord knows I've suffered my fair share of drunken bruises, bumps, and blisters. _Still under the covers, she lightly touched the skin on the inside of her wrist with her fingertips. _Fuck! _The blonde bolted upright and pushed off the covers. She held her right arm with her left hand and stared down in disbelief.

The sudden movement sent a shock wave of pain to her already sore head. She blinked once, twice..._No, no, this can't be. This couldn't have happened! _As reality sunk in and the possibility of this all being a dream slipped away, Naomi stared down at her soft, pale wrist and all she could see there was the letter E tattooed on her skin.

"COOOOOK!!!"

* * *

"How could you let me do this?!" Naomi was up and out of bed pacing around the room in nothing but her knickers and a t-shirt. Modesty was not high on her list of priorities at the moment and besides it was only Cook. "I'm not a 'tattoo' kind of person! I get straight As and do volunteer work. I have a career and a future to think about!" Naomi stopped pacing suddenly, "I'm going to have to wear long sleeves for the rest of my life."

Cook propped himself up on his elbows from his makeshift bed on the floor next to Naomi's bed. He was still half asleep, but he knew better than to complain about the shrill and startling wake up call he received just moments before.

"This can't be real! It just can't! Look at this, Cook! Look at it! An E? An E?! Why on earth would I get the letter E tattooed on my body?! What the hell kind of irresponsible, dimwitted person wakes up with an E tattooed on their wrist and no recollection of how it got there?!"

Naomi was in full freak out mode and Cook had no words to ease her mind. He watched her as she spun around the room in a panic, every few seconds looking down at the new addition to her epidermis. Cook shifted himself onto one elbow and rubbed the back of his head. As he lowered his hand, he caught a glimpse of something on his own wrist that wasn't there the last time he looked.

Naomi continued on with her rant, which was now starting to lose steam and she finally stopped pacing, "...and to add insult to fucking injury, this hurts like a mother fucking cock sucker!" She dropped her arms to her sides in surrender and looked to Cook for help.

"I feel you on that one, Blondie." Cook lifted his own wrist and turned it for her to see. Naomi's jaw dropped to the floor as she stared wide-eyed at the new ink on his wrist! The letter E.

* * *

Cook and Naomi sat side-by-side on the edge of Naomi's bed. Neither had spoken a word in quite some time. This was not the way Naomi had envisioned spending her weekend with Cook when he first told her he was coming for a visit.

It had been nearly seven months since they had seen each other. Cook had stayed in Bristol and was now running his Uncle Keith's pub. Naomi had, of course, moved to London to start her first year of university. She hadn't even come home for the Christmas holiday and instead, Gina and Kieran had spent a few days with her in the city.

She had no desire to go back to Bristol. That town had nothing to offer her, never did. She did her time and got out as fast as she could. She had spent her college days keeping her head down and her nose in her books. She got top marks and even ran for student president. She would have won it too if the wanker now sitting next to her hadn't turned it into a circus! The memory of those days put a slight smile on her face. Cook was a bastard, but she loved him.

They were the best of friends after the election. He was the rough-around-the-edges, bad influence that she secretly wanted in her life, something that was definitely lacking, and she was the clever, sharp-tongued and sarcastic mate that he'd never had. He loved that she never let him get away with his typical bullshit, but he would never tell her that.

Naomi was the perfect ying to Cook's yang. Like tea and biscuits. Sweet and sour. And now...tattoo buddies?! "There's got to be a reason that we both chose the letter E." Naomi looked down at her wrist for the ten thousandth time that morning. "It must stand for something, something we share. Something we both care about and have in common. When you look at it, what pops into your head?"

Cook looked down at his new tattoo. His was in a different script than Naomi's. His was done in an elaborate Olde English fashion, which seemed to compliment the giant cross tattoo that stretched down his side over his ribcage. Naomi's was much simpler…a capital E that reminded her of a typewriter's font. She wouldn't say it out loud, but the more she gazed at it and, if it wasn't actually permanently tattooed on her body, the more she would have kind of liked it.

"A smokin' hot, sexy brunette," Cook nodded his head. "Yep, I shagged her. I'm sure of it."

"What the fuck are you on about?!" Naomi was more confused than ever.

"When I look at this, that's what I remember. Hot brunette on my dick. My pants are getting tight just thinking about her." Cook grinned from ear to ear.

"Disgusting! You are such a pig." Naomi punched Cook playfully in the shoulder.

"I'm just being honest, Babe. You asked. I answered. In fact, I met her at the club over by that library you made me look at after we left the second pub." Cook was starting to piece the evening together as images of the dark haired girl flashed through his mind. "She was dancing, like, in the middle of the floor. No one was trying to dance with her, but they were all lookin' like they wanted to." Cook chuckles, "Fucking pussies these university types. So I went over and asked her to dance. We hit it off! All the girls want some Cookie in their milk."

Cook wagged his tongue at the unimpressed blonde beside him. Naomi just rolled her eyes, "And where the fuck was I during this whirlwind romance?!" The missing pieces of the evening were definitely not coming back to the bewildered blonde.

"You were at the bar, I guess. Shit. We must have been out of our fucking skulls if that's all_ I_ can remember. Not one for blacking-out, me." Cook let out an amused snort.

"Well that's great. That's fucking great, Cook." There wasn't anger in her voice, more like defeat. "I've got no memory that extends past...the second pub, and all you can recall is a great shag with a hot brunette."

"We were in a weird chair-thingy." Cook snapped his fingers at the recollection. "She must have tattooed me and then fucked me in her chair!" Cook was wide-eyed and grinning again. "Fuck, that's hot."

"And what? I sat in the waiting room until it was my turn?" Naomi let out a pathetic laugh.

"Must have. Unless she did you first." Cook raised his eyebrows at Naomi suggestively. "God knows you could use a good shag, Babe."

"Shut it, Wanker." Naomi had to laugh a little bit. It _had _been way too long since she'd had even a proper kiss. Seven months to be exact. It was a goodbye kiss from a very lovely girl that she had met at her farewell party at Uncle Keith's pub. The girl's name was Jennifer, but she went by Jenn, and Naomi had noticed her right from the start.

She was with a group of girls...gay girls...or so Naomi deciphered after several hours worth of side-glances and a general curiosity for the game of darts they were playing. Cook even tried to get her to go talk to them, but Naomi had refused and threatened Cook's manhood if he went anywhere near them. It was Jenn who finally approached the terrified blonde.

"You're either pissed that we've been hogging the dart board all night or interested in something you see." Jenn smiled widely at Naomi who was in danger of falling off her seat. "I will give you some insider information. The two on the left, not gay. Shocking, I know. And the other two...well, Kat and Lily have been loved up for years. You're not going to get anywhere with either one of them. So I guess that leaves me. I'm Jenn."

Naomi was impressed and grinning like a fool. She looked down at Jenn's outstretched hand and took it in her own. "Very nice to meet you, Jenn. I'm Naomi."

After several rounds of Uncle Keith's finest, Naomi was plenty relaxed and even let herself flirt with Jenn...just a little. Naomi had always known she was interested in girls, but had never met one that perked that interest. The idea of liking girls was just that, an idea. She thought about girls, she looked at girls, she even fantasized about girls at night as her fingers dipped beneath the waistband of her knickers, but as far as actual girls, the ones that were real and in front of her. No, she'd never thought about any of those. Until now it seemed.

It didn't take long before Naomi was in need of a cigarette and Jenn was more than happy to accompany her outside and down the alley along the pub. "Do you want one?" Naomi lit her cigarette and inhaled deeply.

"No thanks. I don't smoke." Jenn grinned at the now blushing blonde as she took a step closer.

Naomi was leaning against the brick wall of the pub. "Then why on earth did you come out here with me?" Naomi pretended to play dumb. Jenn took another step towards her. "I mean, you've basically abandoned your friends in there. Shouldn't you be getting back to your darts?" Naomi smiled as she took another drag off her cigarette.

Jenn leaned in even closer and gently touched Naomi's arm letting her hand slide slowly down until their fingers were intertwined. As Jenn leaned in towards Naomi's lips, she suddenly stopped. "You're right. I should be getting back to those darts."

Jenn made a move to pull away, but Naomi quickly dropped her cigarette and wrapped her fingers around the back of Jenn's neck and pulled her into her wanting lips. The kiss was heated and passionate. It was soft, but full of strength and desire. It was nothing like the kisses Naomi had shared with boys, all tongue and no style.

Jenn pressed her body against Naomi's and held the sides of her face with her hands. Naomi melted into the kiss. _This is what it should feel like. This is what I've been missing. This is what I've been wanting. _

The front door of the pub swung open and the loud sounds from within the walls shook them from the kiss. Jenn took a step backwards and dug her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Naomi held her ground, but did not attempt to shift her weight from the wall; her knees were feeling a bit weak at the moment.

Jenn's friends appeared from around the corner. One of the not gay ones spotted Jenn and yelled to her, "Oy! We're leavin'. These two can't keep it in their pants a moment longer. You comin'?"

Naomi held her bottom lip between her teeth and waited for Jenn's reply. It came after a pause and was directed at her, "Have a wonderful time in London." Jenn turned on her heel and was gone.

Naomi lit a second cigarette and inhaled deeply. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she touched her lips with her fingertips. _London. There will be lots of girls in London._

Naomi shook herself from her memory as Cook started moving about the room folding up the blankets from the floor and putting on his shoes. "Well, thanks for a lovely evening, Blondie. It was a blast from what I can remember."

Naomi stared at him like his head was on upside down. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"What?" Cook frowned at her not understanding the question.

"You can't just leave! We have to figure out what happened last night!" Naomi got to her feet and started collecting her discarded clothes from the floor. "Let's just find the shop where we got these and ask them."

A smirk appeared on Cook's face. "Naomi, Babe. I'd love to help you out with this, but I've got to get back to Bristol. I know I'm just some tattooed, uneducated, no career loser, but I do have responsibilities...even if they are just tending to my Uncle's pub."

Naomi realized that her earlier comments about "tattooed" people were offensive and instantly felt bad. "Cook, I'm sorry. I was just-"

"Say no more, Love! I'm already over it and moved on. You should do the same." He gestured to her new tattoo. "Let's just chalk it up to a wild night and a fun story to tell the grandbabies." Cook pulled on this jacket and headed for the door. "Be good."

Naomi heard the door close and he was gone. She looked down at her wrist again. It really did hurt and looked kind of scabby and dry. _Aren't they supposed to give you instructions on how to care for these things?_

Naomi crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She looked over at the clock on her nightstand. It was only 9:36 AM. _I could use some more sleep. I'm sure the tattoo parlors don't even open until nighttime, right? I'll sleep some more and then take a walk. Even if Cook doesn't give a shit, I still need to find out. _

As Naomi closed her eyes she imagined what her mum would say when she saw it. _Lovely tattoo, dear. What does it mean? Gee, I don't know, mum. I was blackout drunk when I got it and can't remember a fucking thing! _In reality, Naomi knew that her mum wouldn't care and would most likely feel about it the same way Cook seemed to, but she was not her mother. And she was not Cook.

_I can't just not know. I can't just go about my life with this thing on me that I can't explain. I have to find out what happened last night. I've always been so careful, so in control. _Naomi realized that she wasn't angry about the tattoo, or angry at Cook for allowing her to do it. She didn't need his fucking permission or babysitting. She was angry that for the first time in her life she did something completely without thinking about it for hours and days on end. Reckless, spontaneous, adventurous...and she couldn't fucking remember what it felt like.

* * *

Naomi awoke with a start. Red. Bright red flashed behind her eyes as she gasped for air. She was having a dream, a very vibrant and brilliant dream, but without meaning or connection to her now conscious state. As she looked over at the clock, she realized she been sleeping for most of the day. She climbed out of bed with determination etched on her face.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. More to come soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am so jazzed that you've given my story such a warm welcome! I was not expecting such lovely reviews or any reviews for that matter, so THANK YOU to everyone that took the time to send one! (I can't even try to explain how happy all the adds for 'story alerts' made me. Wow!) I would apologize for the Kat and Lily reference, but it made me laugh out loud as I typed it, so I'm not going to and it turns out that some of you thought it was funny as well! Oh damn! Now I've got expectations to uphold. Well, I hope this is to your liking.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Naomi threw open the door to the fourth or fifth tattoo parlor she had visited that evening. Her journey had started at the second pub that she knew she and Cook had been to the night before and she just started walking from there. She had never noticed just how many tattoo shops were in this neighborhood. _I guess you don't really see things until you're looking for them._

As she entered the shop, the bell on the door jingled and she looked to the front desk for assistance. No one was there. The shop was empty except for the sounds of music playing over the speakers. Naomi wasn't familiar with the artist, but she liked it instantly.

She scanned the walls, looking at all of the tattoo designs, photographs, even some news clippings about the shop, searching for anything that would jar her memory. As she focused on a photograph of a brightly colored and beautifully designed half-sleeve tattoo, which seemed familiar to her somehow, she heard a voice, deep and raspy, ask her a question.

"May I help you?"

Naomi spun around to face the direction from which the voice came and there standing before her, in the doorway that lead to the back of the shop, was a petite woman, arms crossed, leaning against the door jamb. _She must have been watching me. _

As Naomi was about to speak, the woman took a step towards her and into the light of the shop front. She had the most brightly colored red hair the blonde had ever seen. It was full and long, just past her shoulders, and she had it pinned up into a pompadour. She looked like a pin-up girl, one that would have been painted onto the side of a World War II fighter plane. She was beautiful and even though the color was obviously from a bottle, it didn't matter because it was brilliant and it looked amazing on the owner.

Naomi opened and closed her mouth in an effort to speak, but nothing came out. As she stared at the redhead she noticed a look of pure delight, excitement, and _lust?_ spread across her face. The redhead smiled at the blonde like she had been waiting all day to see her and she had finally gotten exactly what she wanted.

Naomi was confused by the redhead's reaction to her presence and decided to get to the point. "Hi. I was hoping you could help me. You see, I may have been in here last night to get this," Naomi pulled up the sleeve of her sweater to illustrate, "but to be completely honest...I can't remember."

The smile dropped instantly from the redhead's face upon hearing those words and she looked down at Naomi's wrist to hide her face. The excitement it held just moments before was now replaced by utter disappointment and a slight flush of embarrassment.

Naomi didn't catch the redhead's change in expression. Instead, she was staring once again at the letter E that was branded on her wrist. _If I could just remember._

The redhead looked back at Naomi, her face completely neutral and composed. "You don't remember anything?" There was a tone in her voice that couldn't be disguised. Naomi shook her head. "Well you're in big fucking trouble then, aren't you?"

Naomi took no heed to the redhead's comment or tone of voice. Instead she just rambled on. "Yeah. This is the fifth place I've tried tonight. Never knew there were so many fucking tattoo parlours in this neighborhood." Naomi folded her arms across her chest with a scowl.

The redhead just looked at her, searching her eyes for something. Naomi looked away after the intensity of the redhead's stare became too much for her. "Well, is there someone else I could speak with, someone that worked here last night?"

"It was just me and the artist last night." The redhead's answer was all Naomi needed to hear to know that she hadn't found what she was looking for.

Naomi nodded once, "Thanks anyway." As she turned to go, the redhead said one final thing.

"You didn't listen to a damn word I said last night, did you, Naomi?"

The blonde froze. _She knows me. This is the place. I was here. This is where it all happened._ Naomi turned and smiled at the woman who was now leaning up against the front counter. _She looks so good when she leans like that. Shit. Focus._

"So I was here then?"

"Yep."

"Good to know."

"Come on then." The redhead started to walk towards the doorway to the back of the shop.

"No! I don't want any more!" Naomi lunged forward to try to stop the redhead from leading her into the back room.

The redhead spun around quickly and was now only inches away from the befuddled blonde. "Are you sure about that?" There was something in her voice that made Naomi want to scream out _No, give me everything you've got!_ but she dismissed the urge and simply said, "I just need to know why I picked this letter."

The redhead smirked up at her. Naomi looked down into her deep brown eyes. _Those eyes, yes. I've seen those eyes before...but last time they were looking down at me. _ Naomi's pulse quickened as she remembered something from the night before. A flush hit her face and she took a step backwards as she broke their eye contact.

Unfazed, the shorter woman took Naomi by the hand and pulled her into the back of the shop. The hallway was dark, but as they entered the back, the redhead flipped on a light switch and the room was cast into bright light.

She dropped Naomi's hand and gestured with her head for her to take a seat in the chair. _The CHAIR! Cook and the brunette had sex in that chair! Dear God help me!_

"Don't worry. We clean and disinfect after every customer." The redhead smiled cheekily and turned back to the counter where she placed swabs of cotton and ointments onto a stainless steel tray. Naomi sat down in the chair before the redhead could read anymore of her thoughts.

As Naomi got comfortable, she watched as the woman brought the tray over and took a seat on the small rolling stool next to the chair. "May I see it, please?" She set the tray down and began to take off her cardigan sweater, which she had been wearing unbuttoned over a black tank top.

Naomi couldn't help but stare as the redhead's right shoulder and upper arm appeared from beneath the sweater to reveal a brightly colored and _extremely sexy_ half-sleeve tattoo. She also couldn't help but imagine _what other things might her clothes be hiding?_

"Do you like it?" The redhead seemed slightly amused by the blonde's obvious appreciation for her ink.

"Yes. Yes, very much. It's your picture out there then, yes? The one I was looking at before?" Naomi had managed to stop staring and focus on something less tantalizing in the room. The trash bin would do.

"Yeah, that's my arm. Now how about I take a look at yours?" Naomi carefully placed her arm on the pad, wrist up. The redhead gently pulled back the fabric of Naomi's sweater and pushed it out of the way, up to her elbow. The palm of her hand lightly grazed Naomi's and left her skin tingling.

"Tsk, tsk, Naomi. This is starting to scab over. You didn't keep it wet did you?" Snap! The redhead was looking straight into Naomi's blue eyes once again as she snapped the latex glove over her hand. Naomi couldn't help but blush and look back to the bin.

"It is extremely important to keep your skin moist and protected," she continued as she got to work on cleaning and treating the blonde's tattoo. "I told you all of this last night, but..."

Naomi rested her head against the back of the chair, "I really don't know what happened. I don't usually get to the point of blacking out, but my friend Cook was here to visit and..."

"Ah yes, Cook. He's something. Seems nice enough though, not my type, but Effy seemed to take a liking to him."

"Effy?"

"Yeah, she owns the place. She's the artist who did you and your friend last night." The redhead winked at the shocked face looking back at her. "Your tattoos, I mean. And to answer your question...Eastbourne."

Naomi looked at the redhead with a blank expression.

"I think it's sweet. Childhood friends getting tats of their hometown." Naomi blinked in confusion. "That's what you said at least." The redhead dabbed Naomi's tender skin with one of the cotton swabs.

"Right. Yeah, right. Eastbourne." Naomi paused as she scanned her brain. "Is that really what we told you?"

"Why? Was it a lie?"

Naomi was on the spot now. _Think of something, Naomi. Think!_ "No, of course not. What a thing to lie about. Not much sense in that, right?"

"Right. It's just that...you don't seem like you're from Eastbourne." And with that, the redhead rolled back on her stool and stood up. "You're all finished. Remember, apply this at least 3 times during the day, but if you feel like it's drying out, use more." Naomi reached up as she handed her a small bottle of ointment. "And at night, always use protection." She handed her a roll of gauze.

"Thank you." Naomi got up from the chair, unsure of her next move. As the redhead busied herself with cleaning up, Naomi stalled for more time. "The music that's been playing...who is it?"

"Miike Snow. He writes beautiful love songs." The small woman looked up at Naomi as she said it. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it!" Naomi's reply was a bit too forceful and she bit her bottom lip.

The redhead chuckled and led Naomi back to the front of the shop. As they stepped towards the front door, it swung open with a jingling of the bell and a woman that Naomi could only imagine to be Effy, the artist, floated in.

The brunette moved towards the redhead and held up a set of keys. "Back for more, I see?"

_Is she talking to me? _ Naomi wasn't sure whether to answer or wait for the question to be asked again. Effy turned to her and looked her up and down with a set of piercing blue eyes that knew way too much. She dropped the set of keys into the redhead's outstretched palm.

_Fuck. Cook was right. Effy is hot!_

"Ems, we have customers." And with that, the door to the shop opened with another jingle and three blokes came lumbering in. "Get my chair ready, please."

Effy turned her attention to the men as the petite redhead turned to go.

"Emily!" Her name felt amazing as it slid over the blonde's tongue and past her lips. Naomi's heart was pounding as she called to her. Emily turned back.

The blonde realized she had no idea what she had called her back for, but said, "Thank you...again."

Emily's face lit up with a smile. "You're welcome, Naomi." And she was gone.

* * *

Naomi wandered the streets as the evening turned into night. She had no idea where she was going, but she kept a mental note of her proximity to a certain tattoo parlor just in case she needed to get back there on the off chance that she could think of just one good reason why she should.

_Eastbourne? Eastbourne?! Really, Naomi? Fuck! She knew you were lying. I'm going to fucking murder Cook the next time I see him! No, it's not his fault. He does impulsive, idiotic things all the time! I'm the one that actually followed along for once! _

Naomi searched her pockets for a cigarette, but remembered tossing an empty pack in the bin on her way out the door of her room. _Fucking hell! _ She scanned the street for a vendor or shop where she could purchase more. Nothing. She kept walking.

_This is what happens, Naomi. This is the kind of shit you get yourself into when you let your guard down. What now? What the fuck should I do now?_

The blonde took out her phone and typed a message to Cook:

You were right. She is  
hot and you did fuck  
her in the chair. Way  
to go, cunt. The  
redhead is hotter though.

A smile spread across Naomi's face as she thought about Emily and hit the send button. She was about the close her phone when she noticed a pending text blinking at her. She opened the unsent message:

Home safe. You were  
amaziing. When i call  
you tomorow i am  
goin to ask you out  
on a proper date.  
Sweet dreams.  
xxx N.

The text was addressed to _Emily!_ Naomi quickly checked her _sent_ messages and to her horror, she found one...also address to the redhead:

I can't believee i did  
it. This ha s been th  
best night of my life  
becuz of you. I will  
call yoou tomorrow E.  
xxxx N.

Naomi stopped dead in her tracks. _Oh...My...God! _ She hadn't noticed what street she had turned onto and she desperately wanted to get back to her room so she could vomit and then cry. She spun around to retrace her steps but stopped short as she caught a flash of red out of the corner of her eye. Naomi stood frozen for at least three full seconds before turning to face the music.

Sitting there, on the front steps of the shop, smoking a spliff, and observing the ridiculously attractive blonde, was Emily. She inhaled deeply, squinting slightly, and exhaled the thick smoke out of the side of her perfect mouth. Her phone chimed in her pocket and she reached for it, flipping it open to read the new message she had just received.

She closed her phone and addressed Naomi. "So, you're going to ask me out on a date, huh?"

* * *

**Damn cell phones with all their buttons and technology! So tell me...should Naomi get another tattoo? Review, please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Drinking during the day has its perks. It also guarantees a hangover headache by 10 PM, a chance to sleep it off, and a wake up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready to write. So basically, a dozen mimosas later, and Easter brunch with my girlfriend's family was a success. Thank you all again for the loads of reviews; they make me as happy as a drunken, adult Easter egg hunt in which I literally knocked my girlfriend over as we reached for the same plastic egg loaded with cash. I walked away with some candy, a pocket full of loose change, and about twenty bucks in singles (and my gf was impressed by my egg-hunting skills, not mad at me!). Happy Easter Everyone! Seriously though, I'm writing this story for all of YOU and your reviews and lovely notes make me so happy and so inspired to keep writing. (I'm rambling, shoot!) I hope you enjoy the new chapter.  
**

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* * *

  
Chapter 3**

_She really is rather beautiful. _Emily inhaled deeply from the spliff she was enjoying out on the front steps of the tattoo parlor. She squinted at the flustered blonde as she tried to figure out what she should say. But before she could, her phone chimed in her pocket and she reached for it to read the text...from _Naomi_:

Home safe. You were  
amaziing. When i  
calll you tommorow  
i am goin to ask you  
out on a proper date.  
Sweeet dreams.  
xxx N.

She snapped her phone shut and fixed her gaze on Naomi. _Those blue eyes will be the death of me. _"So, you're going to ask me out on a date, huh?" The redhead did her best to keep the smile off her face even though it was all she wanted to do. _This is your chance, Beautiful. Don't fuck it up!_

Emily waited expectantly for Naomi to _say something_. The blonde stared back at her. Nothing. The moment passed. Emily looked down at her hands and inspected the still burning spliff between her fingers. Her heart ached for the second time that day.

"Emily, I..." Naomi took one step towards her. "I must have accidentally sent that message. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Emily stubbed out her spliff on the step and got to her feet. This time Naomi didn't miss the look of disappointment on her face.

"No, I mean, what it _said_ wasn't an accident. I obviously meant it when I typed it out. I just didn't mean to actually _send_ the message at this exact moment in time...is what I meant..." Naomi's explanation trailed off as she tried to keep the redhead from leaving.

Emily regarded Naomi with a skeptical eye. Naomi smiled at her shyly. Emily could see the blush on her cheeks. "Have a seat." Emily sat back down on the steps making a space next to her for the blonde. Naomi sat down and folded her hands in her lap.

Emily re-lit the spliff and took a drag. "I'm going to assume that your social awkwardness today is the result of a blinding hangover..." She handed the spliff to Naomi. "...because you were _definitely_ social last night."

Naomi pulled a deep drag off the spliff, a bit too eagerly, in retrospect, on account of her nerves. She choked on the smoke and coughed into the crook of her arm. She passed it back to Emily, "It's good. Smooth."

Emily chuckled, "So, what brings you to my door for the second time this evening? I know it's not for another tattoo."

Naomi smiled as she finally relaxed and exhaled the breath she had been unknowingly holding. "To be perfectly honest, Emily, I have no idea how I got back here. I just wasn't thinking and my feet brought me back to you." She turned to face the redhead and smiled widely.

"Here, have some more." Emily handed her the spliff again. "It seems to be working for you." The two girls laughed and Naomi took her up on the offer.

"You have no idea." The blonde took another long drag pondering her day. "You know, it wasn't until about four minutes ago that I realized just how hung-over I've been today. Must have cleaned out the bar last night."

"You and Cook were more than halfway through a bottle of Jager by the time our paths crossed." Emily winked at Naomi.

"Jesus Christ! That explains it. Cook knows better than to give me Jager. I blackout completely on the stuff!" Naomi shook her head ruefully.

"Well, _that and_ Effy's special blend." Emily nudged the blonde with her shoulder. "I warned you, but you didn't listen."

"Oh God! I don't even want to know!" Naomi couldn't quell her curiosity. "What _is_ Effy's special blend?"

"Mostly MDMA with some other _things_ mixed in. I learned my lesson long ago not to mess with the stuff. First time I met Effy, I ended up getting _the chair_ treatment like your friend Cook did." There was shock written all over Naomi's face, but Emily continued on. "She's quite irresistible when she wants to be."

"And you're okay with her _giving men __the chair_ and all that?!" Naomi was openly confused and more than a bit shocked at Emily and Effy's assumed _arrangement_.

Emily broke out into a deep laugh as she read the expression on the blonde's face. "Oh my God, Naomi! It's not like _that! _It was years ago and it only happened the one time!" Emily continued on, not being able to suppress her laughter. "Effy and I are just friends."

Naomi felt a bit silly and it showed all over her face. She turned and looked out into the street to avoid Emily's gaze. Emily leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "You're adorable." Naomi smiled a smile that topped any smile she had ever smiled before.

"Come on." Emily crushed out the remaining bit of the spliff and stood up.

"Where are we going?" Naomi looked up at her questioningly.

"It's way past quitting time for me and I'm hungry. It's also Saturday night and I'll be damned if I'm going to waste any more time sitting on this stoop with you."

Naomi got to her feet but was unsure if Emily intended for her to follow or if that was her cue to leave. Emily walked a few paces to the left of the shop's front door and stopped in front of another door. She looked back at Naomi and smiled. "Are you coming?"

Naomi almost leapt as she followed Emily who was now unlocking the side door. "Home Sweet Home." She held the door open for Naomi and they disappeared inside.

* * *

Emily tossed her keys onto the little table by the front door. "It's a bit messy. I was expecting a phone call from you today, not a personal visit." Emily smiled at the blonde who stood at the top of the stairs in her doorway. "Come in, please."

Naomi followed orders and entered. Emily closed the door behind her. "Would you care for a drink?" Emily crossed over to the small kitchenette in the corner of the room and started opening cupboards and pulling down glasses. "What do you want, Nai...pinot grigio or..."

"Jack Daniels." Emily looked up at Naomi who had a proud grin on her face. "You like Jack Daniels and I ordered one for you at the club last night." The blonde smiled at the redhead who seemed pleased by this remembrance.

"Very good, Naomi. Nice to know you have _some_ memories of me in that head of yours." Emily reached beneath the counter and produced a large bottle of Jack. "You want to sip it, shoot it, or ruin it with Coke?" Emily waited for the blonde to reply.

"Oh, well, whatever you want." Naomi played it cool and moved over to the couch. Emily followed her with the bottle and two shot glasses. They sat down as Emily placed the items on the coffee table and picked up a remote. Music filled the room as Emily poured out two very large shots of whiskey and handed one to Naomi. "Here's to memories." They clinked glasses and Emily took her shot without flinching.

Naomi stared down at the dark scary liquid, "Bottoms up." She managed to get about half of the shot down as fire burned her throat. "That'll warm you up on a cold day." Naomi wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and placed the rest of the shot on the table. "I'll get to that in a minute."

Emily smiled as she studied the woman sitting there on her couch, in her room. _Be careful with this one, Emily._

"So." Naomi wiped the palms of her hands on the legs of her pants, "You live here alone?"

Emily got comfortable on the couch and tucked her legs underneath her. "Yeah, just me by my lonesome. I've been thinking of getting a cat, but then I think that's a bit clichéd."

"How so?" Naomi asked the question in earnest.

Emily smiled. _She is so fucking cute!_ "Well, lesbians and cats, you know?" Emily tired to read Naomi's reaction to the L-word.

"Oh yes, of course! Lesbians and cats! How silly of me." Naomi hoped that her ignorance on the subject of lesbian culture wasn't a complete give-a-way to her inexperience. She downed the rest of her shot and cringed.

"You don't have to drink that straight, you know. I could get you something else." Emily poured herself another shot without refilling Naomi's.

"No, it's good. I like it. Makes my tummy feel warm." Naomi patted her stomach for effect and finally sat back on the couch and relaxed. Emily watched her chest rise and fall with each breath.

_Fucking hell. _Emily downed her second shot and got up from the couch. _Control yourself, Emily. You can't just jump her bones. Be cool. _"I'm going to change out of my..." Emily looked down at her black jeans and black tank top, "...work clothes." Naomi nodded. "Feel free to change the music or look around...I've got nothing hidden under the floorboards." And with that, Emily closed the door to her bedroom leaving Naomi unsupervised.

* * *

Emily stood with her back against her bedroom door. _Christ, you're like a teenage boy. Pull it together!_ Instead, she pulled off her tank top, up over her head, which revealed perfectly toned abs and a black lace bra that was so wonderfully filled out it would make even the hottest lingerie model jealous.

She tossed her top onto her unmade bed and stood in front of the wardrobe. _Something green. Katie always says I look the best in green. _As she flipped through her clothes that hung on the rack, her back muscles and arm muscles contracted and relaxed making the ink on her skin move in time.

On her right shoulder blade, down the left side of her ribcage, on her left hip bone, across her ribs underneath her right breast. They were all beautiful, they were all part of her, and as easily as they were revealed, they were once again concealed as she slipped a green, sleeveless, v-neck t-shirt over her head and pulled it down.

_She's already seen my arms, no point in covering those up. _Emily looked at herself in the mirror on the wall. She checked her hair and applied lipstick, red, very red lipstick, a bit more eyeliner. Next to the mirror a few necklaces hung on a small hook. She put them on and was ready for _my_ _date?_

* * *

_She has an actual album collection!_ Naomi sat on the floor in front of an old looking wooden credenza on top of which Emily's iPod dock was placed. The shelves on either side of it were packed with vinyl records. All the classics were accounted for and even some newer stuff that Naomi wasn't familiar with. As her fingers trailed lightly over the spines of the album covers, she spotted one that she knew she wanted to hear.

Naomi carefully pulled the record from the paper sleeve and then realized, "How the fuck do you play one of these things?!" She said it almost silently, but the redhead watching her from the doorway of her bedroom answered her question.

"Lift the cover in the middle." Naomi was slightly startled by the redhead's sudden reappearance, but she was getting quite used to being watched by those chocolate brown eyes. Naomi got to her knees and lifted the top of the wooden credenza. Hidden inside were a turntable, AM/FM radio dial, and old looking controls and buttons.

"I'm afraid to touch it." Naomi looked to Emily for help.

Emily smiled and joined her at the Hi-Fi as Naomi got to her feet. "Don't be." Emily switched off her iPod and with a few turns of the dials and flips of the switches, the antique stereo came to life. She placed the record on the turntable and carefully dropped the needle into the grooves.

The warm sounds of crackles and pops filled the room as the album started playing. "It seems you can't get enough." Emily looked up into the gorgeous blue eyes looking back at her.

"I can't get his songs out of my head. They've been playing on a loop in my brain all day, even before I heard them at your shop. Very catchy." Naomi smiled at Emily. "Did you play him for me last night?"

Emily smiled back at the blonde with a sparkle in her eye. "That is definitely a probability."

"And did I take it well?"

Emily quirked an eyebrow in question as a smirk appeared on her face, "Pardon?"

"The tattoo, I mean. Did I complain and moan about, because I've always imagined a tattoo to be very painful and not at all something I'd do in my right mind. Based on how much it hurt this morning and currently, I can only imagine it was awful."

"Well, I kind of like it, but that's me. We all have different tolerances for pain." Emily's face was very serious. "Do you regret it?"

Naomi looked down at the floor. Emily tried to change the subject. "Sorry, that was stupid, I-"

"No. I don't." Naomi looked directly into Emily's eyes. "I don't regret it at all. I did. I was shocked and angry at myself. But now that I'm, now that I know," Naomi pulled back the sleeve of her sweater and looked at her E, "I love it."

Emily nodded her head in agreement and smiled. "Good." She crossed the room and grabbed her leather jacket, which was flung carelessly over the back of a worn out arm chair. "Shall we go?"

Naomi looked up. "Where are we going?"

"Well, since you have failed to either A. call me today or B. ask me out on a proper date, I have decided that we are going to get some curry at my favorite place around the corner and then go see my friend's band play. They're pretty good actually. You'll like them."

Emily opened the door and waited for Naomi to follow. "And I do promise that you will not wake up tomorrow with any regrets."

* * *

**A friend's band, huh? Who is this friend and will Naomi like their music? Any guesses? As always and forever, please let me know what you liked, hated, mildly tolerated, loathed. Your reviews make me grin and giggle like finding eggs with money in them!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you all over and over again. Seriously, you are all so lovely. The reviews of the last chapter were great. - **_**Great! You're making me sound great. -**_** You're making me feel great! And as a special surprise, one of my absolute most favorite characters from S4 will be making an appearance in this chapter. Hold on to your hats and glasses. This one goes out to you, 6seatertable and Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches! Cheers! **

* * *

Chapter 4

The cool night air felt wonderful on Naomi's warm face. She wasn't sure if it was the weed, the Jack, or the redhead that kept making her cheeks go pink, but she had a pretty good idea. _Say something interesting. Don't be lame, you cock._ "It's a lovely night." Naomi looked up at the surprisingly clear night sky as Emily zipped up her jacket.

"It is, very lovely." Emily looked over at the blonde who was gazing up at the stars. "Are you cold? I should have offered you a warmer coat before we left." Emily seemed like upon this realization, she might just turn back and go get one.

"No, it's fine. Really, I'm fine." Naomi smiled. "I've been feeling hot all day actually. This is perfect."

They continued to walk the short distance to the end of the lane. "You're going to love this curry. It truly is the best I've ever had. Trust me." Emily glanced over at Naomi. Naomi's eyes were already on hers.

"I do. I believe you." Naomi turned her attention back to the street they were traveling on. She looked around at the shops, the people, the cars and bikes. She had never ventured far from her school's campus in the seven months she'd been living there. Here she was in this giant, exciting city, so much to explore and discover, and she had spent all of it in her room or in class or at the library.

"This is a great neighborhood. Do you like living here?" Naomi looked back to the redhead for her response.

"It does have its advantages. The people are nice, lots to do, I don't get hassled, I feel safe here. And...it makes getting to work pretty easy." Naomi smirked at Emily's joke. "And I'm close to my sister."

"Oh, you have a sister?" Naomi was excited to learn something intimate about Emily's life, but she kept it out of her voice.

"Oh, that I do!" Emily raised her eyebrows as she thought about her closest family member. Naomi was about to question the pointed response, but Emily grabbed the handle of the shop door they had arrived at and held it open for Naomi. "Are you ready for this? There's no turning back now."

* * *

It was a tiny hole in the wall establishment with only six small tables in the dining room. At the back was the food counter. Behind the counter stood a rather hot looking blonde with short hair and a pissed off expression. Her eyes looked up from the copy of _Heat _she was thumbing through and a giant smile spread across her face.

"Emily! How's it going, sexy?!" The shop girl put down her magazine and leaned over the counter to take in the full view. "Haven't seen you in a while. I've missed you." The shop girl took note of the other rather hot looking blonde in the room. Her demeanor changed instantly. "Who's this?"

Emily, unfazed by the obvious flirting, made no attempts to flirt back. "Hey Chrystal. This is Naomi." The two blondes exchanged half-hearted hellos as Emily took control of the room. "Can you get us my usual and two Cobras, please?" Chrystal winked at the redhead and sneered at the blonde as she turned to work on their order.

"Not sure if we'll be able to find a table." Naomi mockingly searched around the empty room.

"Cute."

"No. Not my type really." Naomi glanced back at the girl behind the counter. "She seems a bit too...eager, for my tastes."

Emily was impressed by Naomi's claws. "Let's sit down before the cat fight breaks out, yeah?" She chuckled and led Naomi to the table by the window, her table.

"You think she's going to spit in my food?" Naomi sat down opposite Emily.

"Why would she?" Emily seemed genuinely surprised by the question.

"I'm here with you. Your date for the evening." Naomi realized what she had just implied, but only after it was already past her lips. _Christ, Naomi! Think before you speak! _She quickly broke their eye contact and looked down at the red table top.

Emily smiled at Naomi's interpretation of their night to come. Naomi kept her eyes down and played with the corner of her napkin. Two large beers were placed on the table in front of them.

Emily picked up hers as did Naomi who was thankful for the distraction. "Cheers!" They clinked their bottles and each took a swig.

* * *

The rest of their dinner went off without a hitch. After the first bite, Naomi was in complete agreement with Emily, not that she had doubted her for a second. Chrystal shot Naomi mean looks throughout, but after she and the redhead had settled into a comfortable conversation and she had once again managed to relax a bit, Naomi had forgotten that anyone else existed.

They spoke about films they had recently seen and old favorites they'd seen a hundred times over. Books and music made their way in, naturally. Even television, both award-winning content and trashy tabloid smut, was discussed with surprisingly few disagreements.

They had kept it light, Naomi being terrified of saying the wrong thing or asking any real questions and Emily not wanting to ask too much of the fragile blonde who sat across the table, just out of arm's reach.

Emily finished off the last of her beer. "Shall we get going then?" Emily reached for her jacket, which she had hung on the back of her chair.

"I am more than ready to get the hell out of here." Naomi leaned over the table towards Emily and dropped into a whisper. "Chrystal's about foaming at the mouth over there. I'm really fearing for me life at this point."

Emily looked over to see Chrystal glaring over the top of her magazine at them. She quickly looked back to Naomi, eyes wide. "Getting you killed would be a regret _I'd _have to wake up with in the morning, so let's get to it." They stood up, Emily tossed some cash on the table, and as they reached the door to leave, they heard Chrystal call out.

"Emily, call me, yeah? It's been _way_ _too long_, Baby." She licked her lips in a way that Emily knew she was busted.

Naomi quirked an eyebrow at Emily who pushed her out the door in a rush. Once out on the street, Emily kept her focus on the stone walkway ahead of her as they quickly made their way towards their next destination.

"So...has it been_ too long_, Emily?" Naomi smiled devilishly at the embarrassed redhead whose cheeks matched her hair.

"Not long enough, Naomi. Not long enough."

* * *

"Would you mind if I stopped in here for some fags?" Naomi had paused in front of a Tesco. "I haven't had one since this morning and I fear that my level of addiction might be higher than I pretend it to be."

Emily smiled at the incredibly roundabout way the blonde had just conveyed, _I need cigarettes. _"Of course. We've got time."

They entered the shop and Naomi approached the girl at the cash register. But before she could speak, the girl spoke first.

"Oh hi, Emily! How are ya, Love?"

"Hey Karen." Emily smiled at the dark haired girl behind the counter.

Naomi tried to convince herself not to roll her eyes, fearing that it would _say_ too much, but she ignored herself and folded her arms across her chest.

"You on your way to see Freds' band, yeah?" Karen was eager for Emily to confirm her assumption.

"Yeah, we're on our way to the club now." Emily looked over at Naomi and smiled. "This is Naomi."

Karen stuck her hand out at the blonde who was doing her damnedest not to scowl. "So nice to meet you, Naomi." Naomi shook her hand and waited for the blatant flirting and dirty looks to begin.

"I'm so glad you'll be there. That fit boy, Jacob that I was telling you about, he'll be there. Oh! He is so fuckable, I mean, really. You'll have to tell me what you think of him." Karen looked up to the ceiling dreamily. "It was all makin' out and heavy pettin' last time. I can't wait! I'm out of this dump at half-past."

"Oh good! We'll see you there!" Naomi was grinning ear-to-ear. _Thank God she's into cock! _

"We wanted to pick up some fags, if you don't mind." Emily tried to keep them all on topic.

"Of course, Babe! What can I get 'cha?" Karen smiled at Naomi.

* * *

"You're like, popular." Naomi lit a cigarette once they were out of the shop.

Emily scoffed at her observation. "Hardly. People just know me because of Effy."

"I don't think _Chrystal_ had any thoughts of Effy running through her brain...if she has one, that is." Naomi took a long drag off her cigarette.

Emily tried to suppress a smile. _She's jealous, she's really jealous. _"That was a drunken mistake that I can't seem to get away from. You've had the curry. You know how good it is."

Naomi couldn't help but beam at the redhead who had just quenched her raging envy. "Well...it is delicious."

"See." Emily purposely nudged Naomi with her shoulder.

They continued walking towards the club, as Naomi enjoyed her nicotine-filled salvation. As she inspected the red ember at the tip, Emily reached over and carefully pulled the burning fag from between her fingers. Naomi allowed this without question.

Emily wrapped her lips around it and took a deep pull. Naomi watched her intently. The redhead exhaled and handed it back, satisfied. "Thanks. I'm trying to quit."

* * *

They arrived at the club to find a rather long queue waiting to get in. Naomi headed for the back of the line, but Emily walked right up to the front door.

The man at the door looked up from his clipboard. "Emily! You are here! This is most excellent."

Naomi turned upon hearing the man and slinked over to Emily's side.

"Hey Thomas. You've got room for two more?" Emily turned to Naomi. "Don't worry. He's just a friend."

Naomi blushed ferociously as Emily smirked at her.

"Yes, friends do not wait in line. Come in. Come in." Thomas lifted the velvet rope for them and they disappeared into the club.

* * *

It was packed and loud and sweaty. Emily felt right at home. She made her way through the crowd huddled around the bar. Naomi tried to keep up, but fell behind. She wasn't used to pushing and elbowing like the petite redhead was. Emily reached back and grabbed Naomi's hand, their fingers intertwined. She looked back to see Naomi smile at the contact. _I'm holding her hand._

Emily nodded her head in the direction they were going and pulled on her arm gently. Naomi followed in tow. They reached one of the private booths at the back of the club. Effy had already arrived and was sitting with a drink held lazily in her hand.

A dark haired bloke sat beside her with his arm draped around her shoulders. Effy focused her gaze first on Emily and then on Naomi. Her eyes, her deep blue knowing eyes, locked onto the unsure blue eyes of the blonde who was _holding Emily's hand_, _I see_.

"Hey Ef." Emily dropped Naomi's hand so she could take off her jacket. Naomi dug her hands deep into the pockets of her tight blue jeans. "Who's your friend?" Emily took a seat next to Effy and patted the spot next to her for Naomi.

Effy sipped her drink and said nothing. After a pause, she looked at the boy she was cuddled up against with a questioning glance. He looked back at her, not quite believing that she had forgotten his name. "Mike. I'm Mike." He looked at Emily and Naomi and then looked away.

Naomi's eyes widened and she leaned close to Emily's ear. "Romantic." The word dripped with sarcasm. Emily turned quickly to smirk and retort, but ended up stunned silent as she found her lips only centimeters away from the rosy lips that belonged to Naomi. They both froze. Neither one wanting to move as the electricity surged between their wanting mouths.

Emily felt her heart pounding beneath her ribs as she looked into Naomi's eyes and then down at her soft, parted lips. _Yes. God, please. Yes._

Emily was pulled out of her trance by Effy who had spotted someone of interest approaching their table. "Ems." Once she had the redhead's attention, Effy cocked her head in the direction of the unforgivable intruder.

"Oh fuck!" Emily rolled her eyes when she spotted the girl making a beeline towards them.

"Hey Babes! I had to, like, wait in the queue again. I thought you said you were going to put me on the list this time. Oh well. No matter. I'm here now and all. Hey, who's this?"

The dark haired girl hovering over their table turned her attention on the blonde. Emily made the introductions. "Naomi...this is Arsia."

Naomi must have misunderstood her. "Uh, pardon?"

A: "Arsia."

N: "I'm sorry, I didn't, I didn't quite..."

E: "Arsia."

N: "Arse-ia?"

A: "Yeah, Arsia, alright?"

N: "Yeah, it's fine. Arsia. Arsia. It's pretty. Arsia."

"Cheers!" Arsia wedged herself into the tiny space that was left at the end of the booth, pushing Naomi against the grinning Emily.

Effy leaned forward to address the new arrival. "Arsia, Love?" Effy smiled at the girl but there was something dangerous behind her eyes. Effy produced a wad of large bills that had been tucked away inside her bra. Arsia opened her large, gaudy purse and pulled out three small bags of white powder.

Naomi's eyes widened as she took in the scene being played out in her lap.

"Same as last time right?" Arsia and Effy made the exchange.

Effy nodded in agreement. "Same as every time, Babes." There was no hint of friendliness in Effy's voice.

Arsia tucked the wad of cash in her purse, the transaction was now complete, but she made no motions to leave. Emily looked at the contented Arsia and then to Naomi who was in the same frozen position she had been in since Arsia sat down beside her. Emily covertly elbowed Effy who was in the midst of a lustful and penetrating kiss with Mike.

Effy broke away from the kiss to see why she had been summonsed. Emily gave her a pointed look. Effy rolled her eyes. She leaned over Emily and rested her elbows on the tops of Naomi's thighs. Naomi leaned as far back as she could against the back of the booth and tried not to react to the sexy brunette who was now in her lap.

"Arsia, Babe?" Effy smiled as sweetly as she could manage. "I'm so, so thirsty."

"Uh, say no more, Babe. I was just about to go get us some SHOTS! I'll be right back."

"Thank you, Baby." Effy made a kissy face, as Arsia The Amazing left the table.

"Fuck, Ef. This happens every time. Now we won't be able to get rid of her all night. And seriously, it's creepy. She's starting to dress like you." Emily was frustrated to say the least, and was feeling a bit pinned in by the close quarters.

Her sour expression quickly melted though when she noticed that Naomi hadn't moved back into the space that Arsia had just vacated. Instead Naomi's hand had some how found its way next to her own as it rested on the booth in the small space between them. Naomi's little finger lightly touching hers.

* * *

**Perhaps I should have said **_**two**_** of my favorite characters. Karen is pretty amazing as well, isn't she?! Oh Arsia! Arsia, my love! Just brilliant, that girl. Hope you enjoyed it. Drop your big, meaty reviews into my happy, awaiting inbox...that sounded a bit filthy, didn't it?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello Lovelies! I wanted to get this up sooner, but my job got in the way. Stupid job! Well, here's the latest. Hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Chapter 5

The music that encased the dance floor was loud and thumping. Colored lights bounced off of every surface in time with the heavy beats and bass. The DJ in the booth kept the decks spinning, but the energy had noticeably shifted as the final soundcheck commenced on stage. The crowd that was moments ago lost in the waves of the music, had excitedly turned to watch the band as they readied their instruments and equipment.

Emily expertly maneuvered her way through the mass of bodies with Naomi following behind, their hands holding tight to one another. As they reached the center of the floor, Naomi felt her body tense as Emily placed her hand on the small of her back, leaning close to her ear, and pointed to the stage.

"That's Freddie, Karen's brother. He's the bass player. And the girl with the side-ponytail, that's Pandora. She plays keyboards and synth. She's Effy's best friend."

"Seriously?" Naomi had a hard time believing that one.

"I know, quite the odd couple, but friends since they were 15. Don't ask me how it works, it just does." Emily smiled as she searched the stage for the last person to _introduce _to Naomi.

The drummer had taken her seat behind the drums, a boy with a guitar fiddled with his amp and made his last tweaks to the tuning pegs, and then the lights went dark and the music cut out. The crowd roared with cheers and applause. Naomi clapped and looked over at Emily who whistled loudly using her first finger and thumb. _Impressive._

The lights came back up on stage. The drummer started drumming and the bassist started _bassing_ and the others followed on queue. Naomi had been expecting a rock 'n' roll style band for some reason so she was surprised when the music pumping through the speakers turned out to be some kind of pop-dance-electro-hybrid with heavy synth and beats. _This is definitely the kind of music you can dance to.  
_  
She wasn't wrong. The entire crowd heaved and surged as they got into the rhythm of the music. Everyone around Naomi bounced and bobbed about, fists in the air, their bodies lost once again in the pounding music.

The blonde, watching the crowd with fascination, looked over at the redhead and was about to comment, but ..._So ...Fucking ...Hot. _Naomi lost her train of thought as her eyes found the perfect shape of Emily beside her. She was dancing, reveling in the music, letting it control her body, completely enveloped in the tones and melodies and beats. Completely free and uninhibited and _wild_. Naomi had never seen a more gorgeous sight in all her days.

When Naomi remembered to breathe, the audience let out another loud cheer as a thin, dark haired man appeared on stage and stood at the microphone. A spotlight highlighted his face. He was very handsome and at the same time very pretty. His eyes looked out onto his adoring fans. Eyes that seemed familiar to Naomi somehow.

The band continued to play, never letting the beat drop or slow down. The man at the microphone closed his eyes and began to sing. "That's Tony, Effy's older brother." Emily had leaned over to Naomi's ear again. Her hand was on the small of her back again. "All the girls are in love with him...some of the boys too." Naomi smiled. Emily removed her hand and turned her attention back to the stage.

Naomi stood still as she watched the band play and the kids in the crowd thrash about. She was enjoying the music and enjoying the atmosphere when Emily spun around to confront her. "Why aren't you dancing?" Emily seemed disappointed, or was that annoyed, Naomi wasn't sure but she had to answer.

"I'm not much of a dancer, really." Naomi hoped that would be enough, but as she took another look around her, she had to admit that she was literally the only person in the club not dancing.

"Shall we go sit down then?" Emily stood in front of the apologetic looking blonde.

"No! It's okay. You can dance! Come on! Don't let me stop you." Naomi tried to encourage Emily, but the redhead stood there contemplating something. Emily took a step closer to Naomi. Naomi grinned nervously as Emily stepped closer again.

When she was close enough to speak without shouting, she looked Naomi dead in the eyes and told her, "I'm not going to dance unless you dance with me." Naomi scoffed at her words and her grin was even more nervous than before. Emily didn't return the smile.

Naomi tried to call her bluff. "I guess you're not dancing then." She looked down into those deep brown eyes as the song changed and the mood in the club got _a little bit sexier in here. _Naomi gulped.

Emily's hands were on her hips instantly. She pulled Naomi in, but not close enough for their bodies to make contact. Naomi's eyes widened as Emily began moving her hips along with the music. _Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God._ Naomi's arms where held straight down at her sides. She wasn't sure where to put them or what to do with them once they got there.

As Naomi's own hips began to sway slightly, Emily tightened her grip and pulled her in closer. Naomi placed her hands tentatively on Emily's shoulders. She looked down to where her body and Emily's body were nearly touching. Emily smiled up at her before closing her eyes and letting her head fall back, her face turned up towards the flashing lights.

Naomi's nerves had settled upon receiving that beautiful smile and she let her body be controlled by Emily's hands and hips. She still wasn't sure what her hands and arms should be doing at that exact moment in time, but her uncertainty was quickly squashed as her left hand moved, on its own, from the top of Emily's shoulder down onto the bare skin of her right arm.

Naomi was mesmerized as she watched her own fingers glide lightly over the bright colors and dark lines of Emily's half-sleeve tattoo. Vibrant green leaves touched by the sunlight started at the curve of her shoulder, dark brown lines formed tree trunks that stretched down and were rooted to the perimeter of a lake, a lake in the woods, fallen leaves of various shades of dark greens, browns, and tans littered the soft ground.

"It's lovely. It's a lovely place." Naomi hadn't realized she had spoken out loud until Emily replied back.

"It's one of my favorites." With her eyes still closed, Emily smiled at the girl admiring her tattoo as she slowly came back to earth. The band launched into a new song that slammed everyone back into the frantic beats of synth-pop-dance wizardry.

Naomi and Emily had stopped dancing, Naomi's hand resting on Emily's forearm. Her fingers tingling from the heat radiating from her skin. Emily released her grip on Naomi's hips.

"You were a much better dancer last night." Emily smirked at the startled expression on Naomi's face. "Just saying." And with that, she began to walk off the dance floor...Naomi not two steps behind.

* * *

Emily made her way up to the bar. Naomi squeezed her way in beside her. Emily ordered a Jack rocks and a lager. She turned to the blonde at her side. "Unless you wanted more whiskey." Naomi shook her head and happily accepted the cold pint of beer as it was set on the bar in front of them.

Emily sipped her whiskey and turned to Naomi. She used her right elbow to lean on the bar. "I've been wondering." Naomi perked up at the formation of Emily's thoughts that were addressed to her. "How much of last night _do _you remember?"

This was not the question that Naomi wanted to be asked, but it _was_ the elephant in the room, and she had been too gutless to ask Emily herself. "I've been meaning to ask _you_ that question actually." Naomi smiled shyly. "I remember almost everything up until...halfway through the Jager, it seems."

"Right. Well, that was about the time Effy and I arrived, I suppose."

"Cook said he saw Effy dancing and then left me." Naomi tried to access her defective memory banks. "So I sat at the bar and drank myself stupid."

"You _stood_ at the bar actually. In fact, you stood right where you're standing now." Emily laughed a bit at the coincidence.

"You mean this is the club? We were here last night?" Emily nodded. Naomi looked around with new eyes. "Okay, yeah. It's starting to seem familiar." She searched around for something to legitimize that claim. Nothing. "So, what happened next?" She waited for Emily's reply.

"Well, once Effy and Cook started grinding up on each other, I headed to the bar. I saw a rather beautiful girl standing alone and I came up and asked her if she wanted a drink." Naomi grinned brightly at this retelling. "Instead of answering me, you poured me a shot of Jager and said, "Here, have one on me." Emily laughed. "You were quite gone by that point."

"Oh God! Did I make a complete cock out of myself?" Naomi searched Emily's brown eyes for the truth.

"No. You were delightful." Emily smiled, her eyes full of reassurance. "I'm going to tell you this, Naomi, and I want you to listen. At no point during the escapades of last night did you act a fool, play the fool, or make a fool of yourself. If you had, I wouldn't have given you my phone number." Emily hoped this would end Naomi's trepidation. "And we wouldn't have all gone back to the shop together either."

"I hadn't thought of it that way." Whatever confidence Naomi had been trying to build, it multiplied itself by tenfold. "I've never gotten a girl's phone number before." She smiled at Emily.

A cheeky smirk appeared from the corner of Emily's mouth. "Good." She winked and finished off her drink in one gulp. "I'll be right back." Emily walked away leaving Naomi at the bar with her thoughts to keep her company.

* * *

"Hey there, Tiger." Effy entered the ladies' toilets to find Emily at the sink washing her hands. Effy pulled some towels and handed them to the grinning redhead. She leaned against the wall and waited for Emily to speak.

"What?" Emily's grin gave her away. She turned to the mirror and checked her hair and makeup. Effy continued to stare...waiting...

"Yes, I like her. Yes, I think she likes me. No, I'm not going to shag her tonight." Emily cracked under the pressure of those penetrating blue eyes. Effy smirked and pulled out one of the small bags of white powder from her bra. She opened it and fished out a small bump with her little finger. She held it up to Emily's face. Emily leaned in as she closed one nostril and snorted it.

The drugs hit her instantly. A wave of euphoria washed over her skin as she blinked a few times and check her nose in the mirror. Effy handed her the bag and Emily returned the favor. Effy snorted the coke and then sucked the remaining powder off Emily's little finger.

Emily handed her back the drugs. "Thanks."

Effy leaned in close to her and kissed her gently on the lips. "Have fun." Effy disappeared into one of the cubicles.

* * *

_We held hands, sort of. No, she was just leading you through the crowd, you git. But in the booth, when our fingers touched. _Naomi stood at the bar, elbows resting on the smooth wood surface. She had been arguing with herself since Emily had left her.

_She obviously wants me here. She wouldn't have asked me to come if she didn't. _She took another sip of her beer. _You are setting yourself up, Naomi. How could a girl like that be interested in you?_ Naomi shook her head and finished her drink. _But she makes me feel so...much._ She didn't know exactly how to describe the hold Emily had on her. _You stupid sap._

Naomi ordered another beer and then changed her mind. "No, sorry. I'll have vodka please and another Jack for Emily." The bartender nodded at her order. She felt a hand on the small of her back as Emily appeared beside her once again.

"Sorry. Effy and I got to talking in the loo," Emily said apologetically.

"So you're the one she talks to. I was beginning to think she wasted words on no one." Naomi picked up the shots that had been placed in front of her.

"See, that's where you're wrong. Effy _wastes_ no words." Naomi handed Emily her shot.

"You got me there." Naomi held up her shot in a toast. "To wasting no words." They clinked glasses and downed them. "Come on." Naomi took the empty glass from Emily's hand and placed it on the bar.

"Where are we going?" Emily was curious as the blonde grabbed her hands.

"I have to tell you something." She had Emily's full attention. "I lied before." Emily looked at her anxiously. "I'm a spectacular dancer. I just didn't want to make you feel bad since I'm obviously so much better than you are."

Emily couldn't believe Naomi's gall. She smiled brightly at her with surprised eyes. "Is that so?"

"Yep. I figured I should tell you now before the embarrassment begins. I must have gone easy on you last night." Naomi pulled her smiling redhead towards the dance floor. As they made their way to the epicenter of the throbbing mass of sweaty bodies, they disappeared into the rhythm of the band on stage.

* * *

**Is it just me or does Emily seem to bring out the fun side of that blonde bookworm? Well Christ! Emily Fitch holding on to your hips...who could resist?! **

**I don't mean to keep you hanging, but I won't be able to write/post the next chapter until next week. The Coachella Music Festival is calling to me...three days of the best music on earth with the most beautiful girl on earth...how can I resist?! Until then, "Stay alive! I will find you!"**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Ladies and (Gents?), Coachella was a blast! I threw my panties at La Roux, I swooned for Florence and her Machine, I drank and smoked more than I should have, and Miike Snow...well they were amazing! Thanks for letting me take my Spring Break; I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. And coolbeans17...I made this chapter a bit longer than usual just for you!**

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Chapter 6

_Emily. Emily's hands. Emily's arms. Emily's fingers. Emily's hair. Emily's neck glistening with sweat. Emily's perfect arse in my crotch! Oh God! Oh my God! It's fine. This is more than fine. Just dance with her. It's easy. Christ, she feels good. Just relax and dance and stop thinking you stupid cow! _

For the last thirty minutes since they had returned to the dance floor, Naomi had been unable to think of anything other than Emily, while at the same time telling herself not to think of Emily. She didn't want to think about the way Emily's necklaces hung down over her chest and dangled right above her perfect cleavage. She didn't want to think about the way her body moved to the music. She didn't want to imagine Emily's body moving like that against her own. The last thing she wanted to do was completely perv-out and scare Emily away.

They had met less than twenty-four hours ago. There was no rational reason why Naomi should be thinking and _feeling_ all these things about a stranger. A stranger who could have any girl in the room, _if she hadn't already_. So she did her best to distract herself, kept her focus on something other than the most beautiful, sexy, glorious girl she had even seen in her life.

As they danced, she watched the band on stage, while keeping a safe distance from the redhead. Pandora was brilliant! Naomi had never seen anyone play the keyboards like she did. It was almost as if she had springs on her feet as she bounced around on stage switching from one instrument to the next. Four keyboards, a drum machine, programming boards, devices she didn't recognize. Pandora was like a mad scientist in her lab of music. Naomi fully expected the equipment to start smoking and burst into flames at any moment.

Tony was great too. He knew exactly how to work the crowd and his voice was clear and full of passion and emotion. The boy on guitar was very talented; at least it seemed that way from Naomi's point of view. And the girl on drums, she was kind of cute actually and played fast and hard and never missed a beat. Freddie played bass.

Naomi made another sweep around the club with her eyes. Effy and Mike had joined them on the dance floor. Arsia was trying to get a three-way going but Mike kept blocking her out. Near the front of the stage Naomi spotted a boy with curly brown hair wearing a t-shirt with the solar system printed on the front. He was looking up at Pandora, smiling ear-to-ear with stars in his eyes.

And that's when Naomi was no longer able to focus on anything else in the room, anything other than Emily. She had let her guard down for only a moment and let the space she was purposely keeping between her and the redhead disappear. Emily was now close enough to touch and she wasn't sure if she had subconsciously moved towards her or if Emily was the one to do so.

Before, Emily had been completely wrapped up in the music, lost in the sound with her eyes closed as she moved to the beat. Naomi had been thankful for this; it took the pressure off. She had wanted to dance _with _Emily, but she just didn't know how to, and it seemed that Emily enjoyed dancing with herself more than other people. And fuck if Naomi was going to make the first move.

But as the space between them slowly ceased to exist, Emily's eyes locked onto her eyes, she smiled that unbelievably adorable and sexy smile that made Naomi's knees a bit weak and then it happened. Her eyes, those deep brown eyes tore right through her and they saw the immense desire raging behind her cool blue ones. Naomi bit her bottom lip and held it there. She had been found out, no turning back, and now she wanted nothing more than to put her hands all over her.

Emily reached up and slid her fingers around the back of Naomi's neck, drawing their bodies closer. Naomi's hands found their way to Emily's hips and gripped onto them firmly before pulling her in all the way, their bodies pressed against each other fully.

The redhead must have been surprised by Naomi's forceful movement. Her brown eyes were open wide as she stared into blue. Her fingers raked through the back of Naomi's soft blonde hair; she applied just the right amount of pressure and pulled it at the base. Naomi couldn't help but let her eyes close and let her head fall back as the feeling of it all washed over her.

_Emily's body against mine. Emily's fingers in my hair. Emily's thigh between my legs. Fuck. _Naomi was helpless. Emily had complete and utter control and it made her heart clench in her chest, her stomach drop to her feet. _This is too much._

Naomi soon found out that they hadn't even reached the halfway mark yet. Emily playfully spun around in Naomi's arms, her back now pressed against her, letting her arm twist with her body until the palm of her hand found the blonde's flushed cheek.

Naomi leaned into the soft caress just before Emily let her hand travel back down her body to find both of Naomi's hands on her hips. She covered her hands with her own, their fingers laced together. Emily pressed her back against Naomi's breasts as she once again found the rhythm of the music.

Before Naomi could even think about whether or not she should or could or might, she pulled tighter on Emily's hips, pressing against her, grinding against her arse, and it felt amazing. Every movement sent fire through her body. She buried her face in Emily's hair and breathed in her magnificent scent. Emily's hand found the back of Naomi's neck again and she tilted her head back, pulling Naomi's mouth toward hers. Their lips were just seconds away from touching.

"Thank you! We are Shimmering Dream! Have a great night!" The music cut out, the lights were brought up and the audience clapped and cheered as the band exited the stage.

Naomi quickly released her grip and stepped away from the redhead, shoving her hands down into her pockets. She looked to the floor as she tried to catch her breath.

Emily turned to look at the blushing blonde behind her. "You liked that." Emily smiled at Naomi.

"What?!" Naomi was taken aback by Emily's statement and did not want to confirm it.

"The music? The band? Did you like them?" Emily asked.

"Oh. Yeah. I did. They're good, very good." Naomi tried to shake off the trembling that had taken over her body. She needed to go. She needed space. She needed a break. She needed to get away from Emily, just for a bit. "I'll be right back."

Naomi took off through the crowd before Emily had a chance to ask where she was going. She pushed her way past the bar and out the front door, past Thomas and the queue of people that were still trying to get in. She kept going until she found a small alleyway along side the club.

Once hidden away from the street lights, Naomi sank down onto the cold, dirty ground, her back against the rough bricks, her knees pressed into her chest. There was a chill in the air that clung to her skin and sent a shiver through her body. She tucked her arms in between her chest and legs and rested her chin on her knees.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!" Naomi was at a loss for words, except for that one. She squeezed her eyes closed and covered her face with her hands, muttering to herself, "Get a fucking grip, Naomi."

It was quiet outside, only a dull thumping beat could be heard from inside the club.

"You shouldn't be out here."

Naomi sat up with a start. "You fucking scared the shit out of me!" Naomi glared at Effy who stood across from her, leaning against the opposite wall. "Christ." The blonde took a deep breath to settle her nerves. She looked back at Effy. "If _I_ shouldn't be out here, why are you then?" Naomi figured she'd play around with some logic. Effy said nothing and just stared down at the pathetic looking blonde in the alleyway.

"I just came out here to smoke anyway." Naomi couldn't handle the silence. "Is that against the rules or something?" Naomi's voice was beginning to betray her. This Effy character was starting to get under her skin.

Naomi pried her cigarettes out of the pocket of her tight jeans, placing one between her lips, she searched for her lighter. Before she could find it, a flame was held up in front of her face. She looked up to see a smiling, no, smirking Effy, who had silently closed the three meter gap between them undetected. Naomi didn't want to press her luck on this one, so she accepted the light and nodded a thank you.

Effy lit her own cigarette and returned to her side of the alley. Naomi relaxed a bit and pushed up the sleeves of her sweater. As she brought her cigarette to her lips again, she glanced down at her wrist. "So you did this to me, huh?" She looked to Effy for her reply.

"You wanted it." Effy took a long drag and exhaled the smoke slowly.

"Yeah, well, I was drunk and drugged, apparently." Naomi looked back at her E and touched it lightly with her fingertips. "Aren't there laws about that kind of thing?" Naomi glanced up at the brunette. She held her stare as long as she could, but Effy won.

They finished their cigarettes in silence. Naomi stubbed hers out on the ground. Effy lit another off the end of her first. As she exhaled, she addressed Naomi. "So you going back in then?"

Naomi wasn't sure what the hell she was going to do and simply replied with a noncommittal, "Maybe."

Effy nodded, squinting at the blonde as she took another drag. "She's quite sought after. Don't take too long, Naomi, or your place on the dance floor_ may_ _be_ taken." And with that Effy walked away, leaving Naomi to it.

* * *

_Shit!_ Emily flopped down on the booth at the back of the club. On a normal night, she'd still be on the dance floor with a hot piece clamoring for her attention, but right now, she didn't feel like dancing.

_I shouldn't have grabbed her like that. She didn't even want to dance with me and I just fucking jumped on her. She's clever and sweet not like these other girls. She probably thinks I'm some psycho-lesbian-predator. Fuck! She doesn't even know me. Even after last night..._

Emily gulped and tried to shake out the lump that was forming in her throat. _It doesn't matter. She doesn't remember anything. She doesn't remember me._

Emily grabbed her jacket off the seat and made a move to get up, but her plans quickly changed as Effy and Arsia sat down on either side of her. _Fucking great!_ She wadded up her jacket and threw it back down. Effy quirked an eyebrow at her outburst. Arsia flagged down a cocktail waitress who put five shots on the table.

"Cheers, Babes!" Arsia picked up her shot and held it up. Effy did the same. Emily rolled her eyes and followed suit. They clinked glasses and threw them back. Two shots remained on the table.

"Where's your blonde?" Effy gave Emily a knowing look.

"Where's your What's-His-Name?" Emily threw the look right back.

"Emily, his name is Mike. We went over this already, yeah?" Arsia plopped her giant purse down next to Emily, bumping her arm in the process.

If looks could kill..."Thank you, Arsia. How silly of me." Emily folded her arms across her chest. She was cranky. The coke had worn off, the alcohol wasn't helping, and the rush of endorphins that coursed through her veins when Naomi's hands were on her had been snuffed out when the scared blonde had pushed her away.

Mike slid into the booth next to Effy. He spotted his shot on the table. "Cool." He took it and put the empty glass down. He draped his arm over Effy's shoulders and they continued their heavy make-out session from before.

Emily closed her eyes and exhaled an annoyed breath. She looked over at Arsia whose full attention was on Effy and Mike; she seemed to be really enjoying the show, like, a lot. _Fucking creeper!_ Emily closed her eyes once again and rested her head on the back of the booth.

_What a fucking difference a day makes! _Less than a day, really. It was only last night that Emily had spotted the gorgeous blonde at the bar. She had no problem walking right up to her and asking to buy her a drink. She'd done it a hundred times before. Girls were easy, not easy in _that_ way, but just easy to play. The clever ones wanted to feel beautiful and the beautiful ones wanted to feel clever and so on and so forth. But when the blonde turned to her and she looked into those sparkling blue eyes, she realized it was no longer a game and her book of plays was of no use.

_I freaked her out. You can't dance like that with a girl like that! She's proper and intelligent and God, she felt amazing. Her body against me. Her hands grabbing on to my for fuck's sake! Stop it!_

Emily had to get a grip. She opened her eyes to get out of her head and the first thing she saw was a hand reaching for the last remaining shot on the table in front of her. She followed the shot as it was brought up to the lips of the girl who had come right back, like she said she would.

"I assume this one's for me?" Naomi tipped her head back and swallowed the shot in one gulp. "I'm getting better at this, yeah?" Naomi smiled at Emily who was still trying to figure out why she had been so worried in the first place.

"You are. You're better by the minute." Emily knew her cheeks were going to go red if she stared into Naomi's eyes any longer. She looked down at the pack of cigarettes in her hand. "You were out smoking then?"

"Yeah, I had three." Naomi frowned as she thought about it. "Three is a lot."

Emily nodded in agreement. "I thought you had left, actually."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Naomi touched her knee in assurance. "I wouldn't just leave you like that, Emily."

"I know. I just..." Emily trailed off as she realized they were alone in the booth. "Where'd everyone go?"

"Uh, I saw Effy and that guy at the bar." Naomi scanned the room. "Not sure where Arse-ia went off to." Naomi shook her head and smirked.

"Oh. Well, do you want to get out of here?" Emily tested the waters.

"Yes, I do actually, but if you're not ready then..."

"No, I do. We should leave before-" Emily didn't have a chance to say the rest. Pandora came bounding over to the table and sat down next to Naomi.

"Hi, I'm Pandora! But you can call me Panda, everyone does!" She held out her hand to Naomi who realized she was still touching Emily's knee.

"Nice to meet you, Panda. I'm Naomi." They shook hands. "You were amazing up there, really."

"Whizza!" And with that Panda leapt to her feet and threw her arms around the curly haired boy in the 4th grade t-shirt who had approached the table. "This is JJ, my boyfriend. Isn't he lush?!" She kissed him on the cheek, which brought an impressive blush to the boy's face.

He politely extended his hand to Naomi. "Jonah Jeremiah Jones, everyone calls me JJ."

"Pleasure, JJ. Naomi." She smiled up at the boy.

"Ems, will to tell Efs that we're leaving to go make monkey?" Panda pinched JJ's bum, which made him jump.

"Sure thing, Panda. Have fun." Emily winked at JJ and his blush returned to his cheeks.

"It was nice meeting you, Naomi. I'll see you tomorrow, Emily." JJ was pulled towards the door by his enthusiastic girlfriend.

Naomi smiled at Emily. "They're cute together."

"They are, yes. Panda used to date Thomas, the door guy. He was very sweet at first, but then he turned into this moody prick with a chip on his shoulder. She dumped his straight away, thank God. I always thought she and JJ were well suited for each other."

"You've got good intuition then."

"Yeah, well, for everyone except myself, it seems." Emily chuckled.

"I won't hold Chrystal against you. She is hot."

"You think so?" Emily raised her eyebrows at Naomi's admission.

"Yeah, I mean, I'm not really into blondes, but..."

Emily grinned at the blonde beside her. "Well I am." And with that, she grabbed her jacket and got up from the booth. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, please." Naomi got to her feet and faced Emily, waiting for her to take the lead.

"So, you've seen the club, you've danced, you've had your drinks, minus the Jager this time. Uh...I could get you some of Effy's special blend if you _really_ want to relive last night." Emily saw Naomi's eyes go wide.

"Thank you, but no." Naomi smiled at the redhead looking back at her. "I was once given some very sound advice to stay away from the stuff."

Emily laughed. "Well let's go then." Emily turned on her heel and added over her shoulder, "Back to my place, it is." She winked at Naomi and headed for the door.

It took Naomi just a split second to follow, as the color drained from her face.

* * *

**What have you gotten yourself into, Naoms? This little redhead does not mess around. So tell me, was Chapter 6 worth the wait? I'd love to know what you think! The next chapter will be coming soon...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: The reviews! Oh the reviews! *looks up dreamily at the sky* Ladies, you are all too good to me! I am such a lame-o; I get all excited and bashful every time I receive one and it just fuels the fire, you know? Thank Yous to everyone who has reviewed. BIG Thank Yous to the usual suspects: Naomilyloveless, lazyhazy8228, foolishgames, debs182, Blue-Eyed-Blonde90, KairiM, JL10, Stunty, Circ. Crap! I can't name you all...but you know who you are, and you always make me so happy!**

**6seatertable and Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches: You already know what I have to say about you too.**

**HyperFitched...Hypes...you're like...superhuman, right? I thought so. Your secret is safe with me and this one's for you!**

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Chapter 7

"Thank you for this." Naomi glanced over at Emily as they walked together through the nearly empty streets.

"You're welcome, although I'm not sure what you're thanking me for really." Emily put her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket. It was quite a bit colder now than it had been on their walk to the club.

Naomi shrugged her shoulders. "You didn't have to do any of this. You've wasted your entire night trying to help me remember mine and it's just very nice of you, is all."

Emily smiled to herself as Naomi continued.

"Do you think I'll remember? Is it possible to recover lost memories? I mean, I know that they are there; my brain was functioning on some level last night, albeit, a very low one. I was able to walk and talk and dance."

"Yes, and you did all those things, quite well, I might add." Emily smiled over at the blonde.

"Or so you _claim_, although I suspect you're just being charitable." Naomi pulled out her pack of cigarettes. "I just...I don't know. First time dealing with a blackout and all." She opened the pack and offered it to Emily.

"Trying to quit, remember?" Emily tried to scowl at Naomi, but she couldn't help but smile at her instead.

Naomi retracted the offer and selected one for herself, placing it between her lips. She looked slightly guilty as she lit it and breathed in the smoke. "Filthy habit. I'm quitting too." She exhaled and looked over at Emily out of the corner of her eye.

"Right." Emily didn't believe her.

"No, really. I am. I've got a plan and everything." Naomi looked straight ahead.

"I'm sure you do, Naomi."

"I'll tell you about it some time." Naomi took another drag and smiled widely. She could feel those brown eyes on her, watching her as they walked along the rows of shops, all closed for the night. "Have you ever been in my situation?"

"Yeah, of course. Although I usually wake up with a stranger, not a tattoo." There was no smile on Emily's face when Naomi whipped her head around to look at her, immediately turning it back again.

"Oh. Yeah, well..." Naomi did not know how to reply to that one and took another drag, leaving the cigarette between her lips.

Emily cracked a smile. Naomi looked over at her and finally caught on to the joke. "Funny Fitch." Naomi tried to poke her in the ribs, but Emily caught her hand and held it firmly. She stopped walking, which made Naomi stop walking.

"What did you just call me?" Emily studied Naomi as she waited for the answer.

Naomi removed her cigarette with her other hand so she could speak clearly. "Fitch." Naomi looked puzzled by Emily's question.

"I didn't tell you my last name today." A sly grin crept across Emily's face.

Naomi grinned back as she realized what she had done. "You're Emily Fitch and your dad is Rob Fitch who's on those advertisements for Fitch Fitness Centers. Don't get fit - Get Fitched!" They said the last part in unison and laughed.

"I guess that answers your question then." Emily resumed their leisurely pace, keeping hold of Naomi's hand. "All the important stuff is still in there."

Naomi looked over at Emily's cheeky grin. She looked down at their joined hands. _She's holding my hand._ Naomi smiled and took another drag, while Emily repositioned her grip so that their fingers were entwined. _Yep, definitely holding my hand._

A beeping sound emanated from Naomi's back pocket. She placed her fag between her lips and reached for her phone. She wasn't about to let go of Emily. She flipped it open, one new message from Cook:

Fuck me! how could  
i forget the redhead?!  
proper mint that one.  
give Effy a kiss for me  
yeah? with tongue.  
unless you've got it  
down red's throat  
again. x

_Fucking Cook_. Naomi couldn't help but smile as she _WHAT THE FUCK?!_ Naomi stopped walking, cigarette hanging off her lip, as she processed the information in Cook's message.

"Is everything okay?" Emily looked up at Naomi who was staring wide-eyed at the screen of her phone.

"Yeah. Fine." Naomi snapped her phone shut and shoved it back into her pocket. She continued walking, at a brisk pace, practically dragging Emily behind her. _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

Emily had to walk twice as fast to catch up to her. "You're sure you're okay? You're walking pretty fast."

"Oh, sorry." Naomi slowed her steps a bit and took a long drag off her cigarette. "I'm fine, I just," Naomi struggled not to look over at Emily; afraid she'd see right through her. "Cook is a fucking cunt." She was angry and it was evident in her voice. _That fucking liar! He remembered. How could he have not told me? _

"I'm surprised he's not here, actually. Last night he said he was staying the whole weekend." Emily looked over at Naomi, trying to read her expression.

"Yeah, well, he fucked off this morning and left me alone to sort all this shit out by myself." Naomi angrily flicked the butt of her cigarette into the street. _He remembered Effy. He remembered Effy and didn't fucking tell me! _Naomi knew that wasn't the real reason she was shaken.

"This is all his fucking fault. I don't know why I even bother with him anymore." Naomi dropped Emily's hand and reached for another cigarette. Her hands were shaking a bit and she fumbled trying to open the pack.

Emily gently placed her hands over Naomi's as she stepped in front of her. Naomi stood with her head down. Emily took the pack of cigarettes out of her hand and put them in the pocket of her jacket. Her other hand remained holding onto Naomi's.

"Whatever he said or whatever he did...I'm sure he had a good reason for it. He wouldn't hurt you on purpose."

Naomi pulled her hand away and folded her arms across her chest. She finally looked up at Emily, her eyes were mean. "You don't even know him, Emily. How could you possibly know that?"

Naomi had managed to throw a spectacular bitch-face directly at Emily, but the redhead only saw the tears that were welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall. "He's your best friend and you're clever. You wouldn't keep him around if he was no good."

Emily smiled at Naomi who couldn't help but return the smile, causing a single tear to slide down her cheek. _How does she do it? _

Emily reached up and brushed the tear away with her thumb without hesitation. She let her hand linger on Naomi's cheek before quickly pulling it away. "Well then. We should keep going. I'm sure you're properly freezing by now." Emily turned and waited for Naomi to fall into step beside her.

"Yeah, I need some more Jack to warm me up." Naomi rubbed her hands up and down over her arms.

"Here, take my jacket." Emily unzipped her jacket.

"No. That's-" Naomi turned to look at her. Emily started to pull her jacket off, but Naomi grabbed a hold of it and held it in place. "Emily, you're in sleeveless, don't be ridiculous."

"But you're cold."

"I'm fine."

Emily tried to wriggle out of the other arm, but Naomi grabbed a hold of that side too.

"Emily." Naomi used her leverage to hold the tiny redhead in place. They stood face to face. Naomi looked down into her soft brown eyes. _We kissed. We were kissing just last night and I can't remember. Cook fucking remembers. You remember, but you won't tell me. You've been sparing me the embarrassment all evening. I'm such a fucking fool.  
__  
_"I'm fine." Naomi released her grip on Emily's jacket and put her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She stepped away and they continued walking again. "We're almost there anyway."

Emily tucked her hands back into her own pockets and felt Naomi's cigarettes there. She wrapped her fingers around the pack and held it tight.

* * *

They didn't speak the rest of the walk back. Naomi had been completely in her head, working through the anger, shock, and embarrassment that Cook's message ignited inside her and Emily picked up on it and gave her some quiet time to sort it out.

Emily had filled the silence by replying to text messages and sending new ones from her phone, but mostly she replayed the events from earlier that day in her head:

She had woken up that morning feeling pretty fucking happy. It had been a long time since she had woken up feeling that way, let alone with the feelings of excitement and anticipation coursing through her veins.

On a typical Saturday morning, she would have been feeling the remnants of the previous night's drugs and alcohol meandering through her blood stream, but this...this was something very different.

She had laid in bed, enjoying the feel of her cool sheets on her bare skin, and thought about Naomi. Naomi: Tall, blonde, sexy, great rack, nice hands. Her eyes, those gorgeous blue eyes. _Even prettier than..._

In her still sleepy state, she couldn't prevent it. Her mind had drifted to another set of blue eyes that had left their lasting impression on her..._Effy's._ But she had quickly pushed them away. She hadn't wanted to think about those eyes, she only wanted thoughts of Naomi's sparkling, blue ones. The way they had gazed at her, the intensity they held while their bodies were pressed together on the dance floor.

_Fuck._ A hot rush of desire had washed over her and struck her to her very core as she lay under the sheets and thought about those eyes on her, those hands on her, her own hand finding its way...

Emily's cheeks flushed and she stopped herself from reminiscing any further. She looked over at Naomi who was walking just a slight step ahead of her, lost in her own thoughts. _Why do you have to be so beautiful?_

She was now just as distracted as the blonde next to her and almost kept walking when they arrived back at the shop. Naomi stopped at the front stoop. Emily took about three paces too many before realizing where she was and then took three paces back. Naomi grinned as Emily turned to face her. "So, back to the scene of the crime."

"Seems that way." Naomi folded her arms in front of her.

They heard laughing and shouting from inside the tattoo shop. Music started playing on the stereo and they both glanced over at the door.

"Seems the after-party is under way as well." Emily raised her eyebrows as she decided how to proceed. "We can go in or just go upstairs."

"I should go." Naomi spoke over Emily's suggestion.

"Oh." Emily was caught off guard a bit by the blonde's sudden desire to leave.

"I'm sorry, I just have a lot to do tomorrow and it's late." Naomi knew the excuse was flimsy and that Emily wasn't going to buy it.

"What did Cook's message say?" Emily was concerned.

"No, it's not that. I just-" Naomi looked around, searching for a really great escape route. "I just...I don't know what I'm doing here."

The concern dropped from Emily's face and was replaced with sad realization. "You haven't wanted to be here tonight. I just dragged you along without asking. I'm sorry, I didn't-" Emily looked down at her feet.

"Christ! No! I've had a wonderful time tonight! This is the best date I've ever been on!"

Emily looked up at Naomi with just her eyes, her head remained bowed. She flashed a half smile at the blonde that held the power of the sun. Naomi melted instantly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean _date_, I just meant-" Naomi didn't get a chance to finish her explanation. There were only a few steps between them and Emily took those steps quickly, reaching up and grabbing Naomi's face with her hands. Their lips connected. It was a soft kiss, a sweet kiss, but fuck, it was passionate.

Emily broke the kiss first and stepped back. Naomi held her eyes closed for just a moment longer. When she opened them, Emily was smiling up at her. "What were we talking about?"

Emily grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the shop's front door. "You were saying something about needing another drink to warm you up."

Naomi narrowed her eyes as she let Emily pull her up the front steps. "No...that can't be it. I'm feeling quite warm at the moment."

Emily pushed through the front door with a laugh, Naomi close behind her. The jingle of the bell rang out as they joined the party, hand in hand.

* * *

**Emily Fitch! Is it possible to love that girl anymore? I mean, I get to the point of thinking there's no way she could be cuter or sexier than she already is and then she grabs my face and kisses me on the street! *pauses* Naomi. Naomi. She grabs **_**Naomi's**_** face and kisses her on the street. *blushes***

**Press that button and leave a review. You KNOW how happy it makes me!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hey everyone. *sheepishly peaks head from behind the monitor to address the mass of expectant readers* Um...I know it's been a while...and I don't really have an excuse for the delay (other than the copious story updates that have been posting faster than I can read them aka Awesomeness from you all!)...so...are you pissed? (Pissed equaling angry, not drunk) I know my girlfriend is! Shit! Hell hath no fury like a woman waiting for her Ink update! The locks would have been changed when I got home tonight if I didn't get this posted today, so here it is...hopefully it won't disappoint.**

* * *

Chapter 8

The front room of Effy's tattoo parlor felt completely unlike the one Naomi had walked into earlier that evening. The shade on the front window was drawn, blocking out the lights from the street. There were couches in the corner of the room, a coffee table, side tables and lamps, and with the over-head lights turned off, it was cozy and warm like a living room more than a waiting room.

Naomi hadn't noticed any of this before; but given the opportunity, she took a second look around. This was no longer just another tattoo shop after all; this was Emily's place of employment. This was where her plain wrist had been adorned with her perfect letter E. It felt familiar to her now and as Emily hung her jacket on the rack and everyone shouted their hellos, she smiled at the beautiful woman beside her and felt her heart swell, just a bit, as Emily smiled back and gave her a wink.

Effy was there, of course, with Mike hanging all over her. They were sat on the couch along the far wall; Effy was smoking a spliff, Mike was drinking from a can. Tony, Freddie, and their other band mates, along with a couple of what Naomi could only imagine to be groupies, were scattered about the room. They were all chatting and laughing, as they drank their beers and smoked weed.

Naomi had never been one to get on with the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll crowd, not like she would have ever been invited to anyway. She was far too busy for that. She had been accused of having a one-track mind on more than one occasion. It was her mum who would try to remind her that she was young and should have some fun once in a while, but Naomi would always just roll her eyes and then return them to the book she held in front of her.

Cook tried his best as well and was successful from time to time. He'd take her out to parties or pubs, on weekend nights only, of course, and they'd get pissed and have a laugh, but Naomi always kept herself under control.

When the part of the night arrived where Cook would take off with some _fit bird_, and that part of the night came _every_ night they went out, Naomi would settle her tab and head home. She and Cook had sort of an unspoken agreement when it came to him _getting his dick wet_, as he so eloquently put it. It was only Cook who assumed this agreement worked both ways.

Once the coast was clear, guys would approach the pretty blonde with blue eyes, sure, but after a minute or two of boring small talk exchanged while shouting over loud music, she'd find some reason to excuse herself and just go home, alone. The next morning, Cook would always call, partly to make sure she got home alright, but mostly to tell her, in graphic detail, about his sexual conquests.

Naomi would call him a pig and act indignant and disgusted while he described his carnal fornications, but at least one of them was getting some action. Cook would inevitably turn the tables on her and try to get her to confess as to which bloke was lucky enough to _stick it in_. She would simply say that it was none of his business and change the subject. Cook never pushed too hard; he figured that she'd tell him when she was ready.

Naomi felt her stomach sink a bit as she remembered those morning phone calls, how Cook would make her laugh until her sides ached and how he was always so protective of her. She missed him; she missed seeing him at school every day. She missed their closeness.

They had kissed once, it was right after the election for student president, right after she had lost, before they had become best friends, and before Naomi had really truly allowed herself to accept that she was interested in girls and only girls. The kiss hadn't lead to anything, Naomi had stopped it, but she always thought back on that day with fondness because of the way Cook had smiled at her as he re-buttoned his shirt. She knew that his heart was in the right place, even if he was a prick most of the time.

A prick who had unknowingly dropped a text message-shaped bomb on her just moments ago that left "You Made Out With Emily Last Night" flashing behind her eyes in the wake of its destruction. She was going to have to reply to that message at some point, but she was having a hard time working up the appropriate level of venom necessary for such a reply.

How could she be angry right now? Emily had kissed her! Emily had kissed her fully on the lips and it was just perfect and amazing and it made Naomi's mind go completely blank and it felt wonderful. All that anger and frustration had been washed away with that kiss and Naomi had been left with only a tingling feeling on her lips as they joined the party already in progress.

Naomi watched as Emily walked over to the front desk, ducking down behind it and reappearing with two cans of beer in her hands. She smiled over at Naomi, who was still standing near the front door, unsure of how to navigate the room. Emily held up one of the beers in her direction and cocked her head, motioning for the blonde to join her.

Emily cracked them open and held one out to Naomi as she approached the counter. "It seems that all the hard stuff is upstairs. Is a beer okay?" The blonde nodded and took the can from Emily's small hand.

"Actually, this is perfect. I do have a paper to write tomorrow, so I can't get too far gone." Naomi took a sip of her beer as did Emily.

"Not to worry. I've hidden all the licorice-flavoured liqueurs so you're perfectly safe." Emily gave the blonde another wink. A grin escaped from the corner of Naomi's mouth. Emily looked about the room. "So what do you think of our shop?"

Naomi took her cue and looked around as the word _our_ bounced around in her head. She didn't like it; she didn't like it one bit. _Our shop? When did it become our shop?_ Naomi just smiled. "By far the best one I've been into today. As you know, I visited a good number." She took another swig of beer.

"That's true, you did." There was a slight pause between them. It seemed that Emily wanted to ask her something, but might not have been sure how to go about it. Naomi gulped down more beer in an attempt to fill the silence.

"So..." Emily paused and focused on the stack of fliers on the counter top, straightening them into a neat pile.

Naomi could tell something was on her mind. "Yes...?" She smiled at the suddenly timid redhead.

"Well, I was just wondering..." Emily looked up at her again.

"Yeah?" Naomi smiled widely as she waited for the redhead to continue.

"Well...what would you have done if you hadn't found your way back here today?" Emily held Naomi's gaze as she asked the question, but quickly dropped it, looking down at her beer.

There was something in the tone of Emily's voice that made Naomi pause as she studied the small frame of the girl across the counter. With her head slightly bowed, hands fidgeting with her beer can, Emily looked as if she was preparing herself to hear an answer that she already knew she wasn't going to like.

In a million years, Naomi would have never guessed that _that_ was the question on the redhead's mind. It hadn't even been an option for Naomi to _not_ find the shop and discover her lost night. But obviously, it was something that Emily had pondered.

Naomi couldn't fully understand it, but in that moment, as Emily's question resonated between her ears, she realized that it had only been dumb luck that led her back to the shop. She could have very well never found the place. She might have had no way of ever knowing what had happened or how her new tattoo came to be. She could have very easily given up and followed Cook's advice, caulking it up to a laugh and a good story to tell.

But above all that, beyond all the ways Naomi's life would have been affected if she had never found the shop, was the realization that was making her heart beat wildly in her chest, the same one that was causing Emily to brace herself for her answer. Naomi's vision shifted then and she saw herself and this situation, this fucked up situation they were in, through Emily's eyes for the first time that day.

She remembers. We might have never seen each other again, but she would have always remembered. I might have never known her, but she would have known me. She liked me. She met me last night at that club and she liked me. She gave me her phone number and I said I would call her. I walked in here today and she was excited to see me, because I was the girl she had met and danced with and kissed and I...I treated her like a stranger. She knew me and I didn't remember her. She knows everything that happened last night, but she can't tell me, she can't just blurt it out, because I've forgotten it and now those memories have become one-sided and meaningless...even though it all still means something to her.

It had taken Naomi too long to respond. Emily quickly glanced up at her, but just as quickly looked elsewhere, anywhere other than into those eyes. "Forget it. Doesn't matter." Emily grabbed her beer and walked over to the couch and flopped down next to Effy.

Naomi remained at the desk, clutching the can in her hand and reeling. She felt awkward suddenly, standing there alone without those chocolate brown eyes holding her up, so she took a seat on the empty couch by the front window and gulped down the rest of her beer.

"Hey, you want another?" Mike had noticed that the blonde had finished her drink.

"Yeah. Fine." Mike took her empty and got up. Naomi sat back on the couch and tried to look interested in the party. The music was turned up loud enough so that she couldn't hear any of the conversations being had, not that she cared at any rate. The only person she wanted to listen to was currently in deep conversation with the stoic brunette who all of a sudden was all smiles and chatter. Naomi pretended not to notice every time Effy's hand touched Emily's knee as they joked and laughed.

Tony was across the room with his hands all over a rather sexy, but utterly dumb looking girl in a very short skirt, as he chatted her up relentlessly. _Must run in the fucking family._ Next to Tony, Freddie was sitting on the floor propped up against the wall rolling another spliff. Naomi recognized the boy next to Freddie as the guitarist from the band. He was talking very closely with a handsome bloke in a too tight t-shirt with perfect hair. Other nameless individuals were milling about, but not one of them held Naomi's attention for too long as it always ended up back on the redhead with the fit arms and perfectly crooked smile.

The couch sank beside Naomi and a beer was held up in front of her. "Mike went to the loo. He told me to hand you this."

Naomi looked over at the person now sitting beside her as she took the beer. It was the cute drummer from the band. She had jet black hair cut short and stylish and despite Naomi's limited lesbian knowledge, there was no chance that this one was anything other than G.A.Y.

"Thanks." Naomi opened the beer and downed almost half of it in four consecutive gulps.

The girl next to her held out her hand. "I'm Alex and you're thirsty." She smiled.

"That I am. I'm also known as Naomi in some circles." They shook hands.

"Are you one of Tony's admirers?"

"No actually. I haven't yet met Tony or anyone else really. I did meet Pandora after the show. You were all very good." Naomi raised her beer to her lips again and tipped it back.

"Aw thanks. You're sweet to say so." Alex placed her hand on Naomi's knee and gave it a squeeze. Naomi flinched, but only slightly. She didn't think Alex had noticed.

"So who are you here with then?" Alex leaned back on the couch, her shoulder touching Naomi's.

"Alex." The two girls on the couch looked up at the redhead who was now standing above them. "I see you've met Naomi." There was something in the way that Emily said her name, almost as if it was a challenge, that made the blonde's heart flutter.

"Yeah, I have. We were having a nice chat, weren't we, Nai?" Alex lifted her arm and draped it over Naomi's shoulders, possessively.

Naomi froze. She couldn't take her eyes off Emily; she watched her, seeing her jaw clench repeatedly, as she looked down at the owner of the offending arm. Emily took in a deep breath through flared nostrils and Naomi heard the aluminum can in her hand crunch slightly.

"Actually..." Naomi wiggled out from under the oppressive weight of Alex's arm and sat up. "To answer your question," she gripped onto the outstretched hand of the redhead as she was chivalrously helped to her feet, "I'm here with Emily."

She didn't direct the last bit of her reply toward Alex. Her eyes were gazing into the smiling ones that belonged to her Emily. "What was that thing you wanted to show me in the back room?" Naomi grinned at the smirking girl still holding her hand.

"Oh right, yeah, that thing." Naomi began to pull her towards the back as Emily glanced back over her shoulder. "See ya, Alex."

Naomi let her entire face light up with a smile once she had turned away from the dejected drummer left sitting of the couch. But before she could make a clean getaway with her girl, Naomi caught the eye of Effy who had been watching the entire exchange from where she sat on the other couch, smoking her spliff and invading their moment with her penetrating eyes.

There was a smirk on the face of the brunette that made Naomi feel suddenly insecure as she walked with Emily towards the back room, those blue eyes holding onto her own until she broke away from them. She felt her arm being stretched to its full expanse then as Emily reached over and plucked a burning spliff out of Freddie's mouth from where he was leaning against the front desk.

Emily placed it between her lips, inhaling deeply, and winked at the boy as she let Naomi pull her into the darkened hallway that led the way to that _thing_ in the back that Naomi was anxiously awaiting to see.

* * *

**Holy Christ, you guys! This entire chapter only covered five minutes of actual story time! At this rate, I'm going to be halfway through Chapter 87 before they even have their first phone conversation! For those of you who've stated that you are enjoying the pacing of the story, you may retract your statements now. *shakes head at myself***

**Well, if all goes according to plan, and I don't get distracted by the JD and Naomily madness (my region-free DVD player will be arriving soon so I can watch my Skins DVDs in HD on the big screen!), I'm going to have three full nights of uninterrupted writing time while my gf is on location shooting her new commercials! (The exclamation point was for the writing time not for the gf being away from me time.) So the next chapter(s) will be up SOON!**

**(Christ, Blondie! Enough with the fucking parentheticals!)**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Okay, fine. I **_**did**_** get distracted by whiskey and Skins on the big screen. I couldn't help myself! I'm only human. And then...all of your updates...I'm lucky I was able to function at all. Did you read the latest Vanishing, I Hold A Force I Can't Contain, and Anything To Declare? No? DO IT NOW! Stop reading this and go read those stories! And then come back here and read this.  
**

* * *

Chapter 9

The door to the tattooing room was shut quickly by the laughing redhead who was thankful for the blonde's ability to think on her feet, successfully avoiding an awkward pissing match with "I'm a drummer" Alex and bringing them to a location where they could be alone. Perhaps, Naomi hadn't given it much thought, but Emily couldn't help but imagine all the _things_ she wanted to show the inexperienced blonde.

"I think she likes you." Emily's eyes were bright and shining as she looked over at Naomi who had entered the room ahead of her and immediately claimed the small stool on wheels as her own.

"Ridiculous!" Naomi punctuated her exclamation with a flourish as she raised her can of beer in the air and spun herself around on the stool, letting the momentum gradually bring her back around to face the redhead.

Emily couldn't help but smile adoringly at the sight.

"So, Ems...what's next on the tour? You gonna show me the ropes?" Naomi shot up from the stool, a bit too quickly, and had to steady herself as all the booze and beer and spinning finally hit her. "Whoa." She blinked a few times, regaining her composure, and finished off the rest of her drink, setting the empty can on the counter against the wall.

Emily didn't respond right away; she held the spliff she had taken from Freddie between her lips and produced a lighter from her pocket, bringing the flame up to the tip. After a few puffs, it was lit and she regarded Naomi as she inhaled and exhaled the thick, delicious smoke. "Well, I suppose this is part of the tour." Emily gestured to the room in which they stood. "This _is_ where Effy keeps her needles after all."

"True. True. This is where all the magic happens." Naomi whimsically brushed her fingers over the headrest of The Chair as she wandered around the room looking at and touching everything.

"So, Ems? Were you in here while she was doing it?" Naomi turned as Emily coughed out the mouthful of smoke she had just inhaled.

"What?! No! That's disgusting! We stayed in the other room while she and Cook were fucking." Emily was shocked at Naomi's question.

Naomi's face broke out into a huge smile and she couldn't hold back her laughter. "Emily! I meant were you in here with me while Effy was doing my tattoo." Naomi continued to laugh.

"Oh. Right." Emily blushed, but tried not to show it. "Then, yes. Yes, I was in here while she was doing it." Emily had to giggle at her misstep.

"Good. I'm glad." Naomi smiled at her.

"And if you really want to know, I was also holding your hand while she was doing it." Emily looked deeply into Naomi's blue, smiling eyes. "Well, holding might not be the right word for it. I was _enduring_ the death grip you had on my hand that nearly crushed it to bits."

Naomi scrunched up her face as she listened to Emily's description. "Really? Hmm. Sorry about that."

Emily held out her hand and flexed her fingers a few times. "No harm done."

"Thank God." Naomi winked at her and it was not a playful wink. It was a terribly filthy, insinuating wink accompanied by a cheeky smirk that punched Emily directly in the stomach when she realized what she was implying.

Seeing the desired reaction spread across Emily's face, the triumphant blonde turned on her heel and continued wandering about the room.

Emily was shaken out of her stupor by the vibration of her phone in her pocket. She reached for it, flipping it open, and read the text message from Katie:

I better see you tomorrow,  
Bitch. Don't you dare flake  
on our breakfast plans.  
I've got loads to tell you  
about my new job and the  
project I'm going to be in  
charge of! My new boss is  
fucking gorgeous, but gay  
as a window, I'm afraid.  
Anyway, don't stay out too  
late. I won't be left waiting  
for your arse again! Oh  
yeah, and did that bl

Emily pressed a few buttons to get to the next message containing the rest of her sister's rant. _Christ, even her texts won't shut up._

onde girl call you? She  
better fucking have! You  
couldn't stop talking about  
her when you called me this  
morning. Christ. And if she  
didn't, she's a fucking lezza  
bitch who's not good enough  
for my baby sister! But if she  
did, I want to meet her. She  
sounds nice. I've never heard  
you talk that much about  
anyone! X

Emily closed her phone and shoved it back into her pocket. She crossed over to a cupboard in the corner of the room and started searching for something it contained. Naomi followed her with her eyes and then took a few silent steps towards her.

"Effy usually keeps a bottle of vodka in here for the ones who can't take the pain." Emily continued to dig through the cluttered cabinet until she saw a long slender arm reach up above her, the movement causing a delicate letter E to peek out from beneath the sleeve, and pull down the bottle she was looking for from the top shelf.

She slowly turned to face the taller girl whose body was now entirely too close to her own given the fact that they didn't have the convenient excuse of being on the dance floor to allow them such intimacy. She could feel the heat radiating between them and knew that if she didn't say something soon, she'd let those blue eyes overtake her and her hands wouldn't be able to do anything except grab onto Naomi and never let her go.

She couldn't let that happen, not like this, not now. She had let herself get carried away the night before. She should have stopped it; she should have known that everything would be different once they were cast into the sobering light of day. _This is not how these things work. You don't just walk up to someone at a bar and look into her eyes and just..._

No. There was no way any of this was real. Emily had thought of a thousand ways that Naomi could have blown her off as they started to make small talk over those infamous Jager shots. She had imagined her saying them all each time their eyes locked onto one another, each time that feeling made her head spin.

_I have a boyfriend. I'm seeing someone right now. But you're a girl. Sorry, I have a girlfriend. You're not my type. No thank you. Please stop talking to me. I'm becoming a nun._

She just never imagined that it would end up like this. The ultimate blow-off. Naomi completely forgot about her. Their night together erased from her memory like it never even happened.

Emily quickly placed the burning spliff between Naomi's parted lips and grabbed the bottle of vodka out of her hand all in one swift motion. Side-stepping away from the girl that made her heart feel like it was malfunctioning, she simply said, "Thanks."

She twisted off the cap and brought the bottle of clear liquid to her lips. Her face reflected the disgusting taste and burning sensation that only cheap vodka can produce as she swallowed it down.

Naomi turned back around and grinned at her as she took a long drag off the spliff. "You're pretty lacks on the rules and regulations around here, aren't you Emily?" She took the bottle from Emily's hand. "I should report you." She took a swig and cringed as it burned her throat. "I bet you tattoo minors as well." She handed it back and took another drag off the spliff.

"Never!" Emily gulped down more vodka. "I check out every person that walks through that door."

Naomi took a step closer and took the bottle from Emily's hand again. "Did you check me out last night?"

Emily looked up into those mischievous blue eyes and for a moment, she almost let herself believe that Naomi did mean all those things she had proclaimed to her. Maybe she would remember and they could start right back at where they had left off.

But as Naomi swallowed down another mouthful of booze, Emily recognized the glassy gaze looking back at her and took the bottle from Naomi's hand.

"Don't you have a paper to write tomorrow?" Emily capped the vodka and returned it to the cupboard, placing it on the lower shelf, of course.

Naomi frowned at the insinuation. "You are correct. I do have a paper to write tomorrow, but if you haven't noticed, Emily, it is today. And today, I do not have a paper to write." She smiled proudly, if not a bit drunkenly, at her retelling of the facts and took another hit off the spliff.

"Well, I can't argue with that." Emily headed for the door. "Come on then. We've only got a few hours left before today turns into tomorrow." Emily opened the door, letting the music and noise from the front room flood in.

* * *

The after-party was in full swing as they walked back into the _living_ room. The stereo was turned up a bit louder; a few more people had arrived to join in on the fun. Naomi spotted The Arsia sitting atop the front desk, gently swaying to the music as if in a trance, her eyes locked onto someone, staring intently. _You really can't get rid of her, can you? _

Naomi followed Arsia's line of vision, which landed directly on the figure of one Effy "I'm not wearing any pants..." Naomi didn't know her last name and didn't care. Effy was in a trance of her own as she danced and spun around in the middle of the room, hands raised up above her head, reaching up to find her next high. _Shit. Effy's blend really is special. _

Emily stood next to Naomi, watching the scene before them. Naomi teetered a bit and placed her hand on Emily's shoulder to steady herself. "Did _I_ look like that last night?"

"No. Your hair is much lighter." Emily grabbed Naomi's hand from where it rested on her shoulder and lifted it above her head and twirled herself around. She grabbed Naomi's other hand and pulled her out onto the impromptu dance floor with a laugh. They had both had enough to drink and smoke by this point to let go and just dance about, carefree. The others followed their lead and joined in.

* * *

Naomi wasn't sure how long they had all been dancing, but she was feeling kind of sweaty and all of a sudden very aware that it was way too hot to be wearing long-sleeves. Without a second thought, she pulled her sweater off over her head and tossed it onto the couch.

Naomi turned back around to rejoin the dance party and that was when she noticed Emily's eyes on her. Emily had been watching her; she had watched her peel off that unnecessary bit of clothing, and now she was just staring at her, utterly fascinated by the tight gray tank top that remained, clinging to Naomi's torso. It was the tank top she was interested in, or perhaps all the glistening skin and cleavage that the tank top left uncovered, she wasn't sure.

Emily's dark brown eyes, after several moments of gazing, made their way up to Naomi's gleaming blue ones. It only took them a few steps to reach each other and that's when neither of them could resist it any longer. Enough pretending.

Naomi's right hand reached up to curl itself around the back of Emily's neck, but just before her fingertips made contact, a hand shot between them and clutched onto the blonde's wrist.

"I fuckin' love yer tattoo, Babes!"

_Arsia!_ Arsia had grabbed Naomi's wrist and pulled her away from Emily so she could take a closer look at her ink.

"It's right nice, innit, Ems?" Arsia looked to Emily for her agreement.

"Yeah, I love it." Emily quickly glanced over at Naomi and then quickly away.

"What does it stand for?" Arsia looked up at Naomi and waited for her to answer.

Naomi's mouth opened and then closed.

"Eastbourne. It's Naomi's hometown." Emily helped the floundering blonde answer Arsia's question.

"Ah, I love Eastbourne, yeah! I've got cousins there and I visit every summer. Once I got so ratfaced on rum, creme de menthe, ouzo, and...uh...rum, I pissed green for three days!"

"They call those Ballbreakers, don't they?" Effy had silently joined the conversation and was standing directly in front of Naomi, her eyes tore right through the stammering blonde.

"Uh, yeah. I think." Naomi wasn't sure if she had ever heard of such a thing.

"You know they are, Nai!" Arsia slapped her playfully on the arm. "Ballbreakers are like the unofficial drink of Eastbourne! You can get them at all the pubs!"

Effy cocked an eyebrow in Naomi's direction and smirked. "Yeah, Nai. _Eastbourne _is just crawling with Ballbreakers."

Naomi had to get out of this one and fast. "Well, I uh, moved before, my mum and me, moved before I was old enough to drink...so..."

Arsia nodded, satisfied with the explanation. Effy wasn't convinced, but gave Naomi a playful wink anyway. Emily smirked through the entire exchange and finally decided to help the poor girl out.

"Naomi? Would you mind getting me another beer?" Emily smiled when she saw the thankful eyes of Naomi look over at her.

"Of course." Naomi turned and was behind the front counter in less than a second. As she crouched down to open the small refrigerator, she unleashed a silent attack on herself.

_What the fuck?! Couldn't you have just said, "Ballbreakers: They're Cool," instead of "Oh gee, I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about. We moved before I could drink?!" Christ!__  
_  
She grabbed two beers and took a deep breath. _Okay. Just fucking relax. It's fine. Just stand up and relax._ Naomi exhaled slowly as she got to her feet, but instantly became the opposite of relaxed as she came face-to-_breasts. Breasts. Emily's breasts._

Emily was bent over the counter, staring down at the blonde, the deep v-neck of her shirt showing off her amazing tits. Naomi froze at breast level and bit her lip.

"You alright?" Emily asked her, before realizing what had stopped the wide-eyed girl in her tracks. Emily looked down at her abundant cleavage that was currently on display and quickly pushed herself back into an upright position.

Naomi did the same and gently placed the cans of beer on the counter top. Without a word, they each cracked theirs open and proceeded to chug as fast as humanly possible. When lack of oxygen became an issue for them both, they slammed the cans down again, panting and staring intensely into each others eyes.

"You wanna get out of here?" Naomi had asked the question first, but it was the exact same thing Emily had been thinking.

"Grab your sweater."

They took off towards the front door, Naomi stopping to roughly pull her sweater out from under a startled Arsia who was sitting on the couch, and Emily pushing her way through the still dancing party-goers on her way to grab her jacket off the rack.

They were out the door and down the steps before anyone noticed they had gone.

* * *

**If anyone is in need of a mental image of what my Emily Fitch looks like, please visit my profile...and then imagine a half-sleeve tattoo of the lake on her right arm. Yeah. And then you can yell at me for ending the chapter where I did.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: It's late where I am and I've just finished this chapter and I'm sleepy. Pretend like I wrote something really fun here and then laugh and say to yourself, "Oh Blondie! Silly you!"**

* * *

Chapter 10

The bell on the door rang out into the quiet of the empty street. The tone reverberated in Naomi's ears, ricocheting off every cell in her recently silenced brain. The constant stream of consciousness that usually played at full speed in her mind had stopped; there was not one coherent thought running through that blonde head of hers_. _She was acting on pure feelings, raw emotion, and alcohol. All she could see was red, a bit blurry, but definitely red, as her heart pounded in her chest.  
_  
_Emily was already at the door that led up to her flat; Naomi was just a few wobbly steps back. She heard the jangling of keys as Emily fumbled with the lock, giggling, and unlocked the door. She turned the knob, looking over her shoulder to make sure the blonde was behind her.

Naomi smiled widely as she looked into Emily's deep brown eyes. "You are so fucking beautiful." Naomi took a step towards her and stumbled. Emily lurched forward, dropping her keys and letting go of the door, as she reached out to catch Naomi.

Naomi managed to find her balance, as she held up a hand to Emily in a show of not needing her help. "I'm fine. I got it."

Emily couldn't help but laugh a bit. "You sure?"

"Yes! Yes, I'm quite right. Here, let me get those." Naomi bent down to pick up Emily's keys and stumbled forward again. Emily caught her that time and pulled her up. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm just a bit..."

Naomi felt Emily's hands resting on her waist, holding her steady, thumbs pressing on her hip bones just slightly. Their bodies were close, heat radiated between them even in the cold night air. Naomi licked her lips and held the bottom one between her teeth. She saw Emily look down at them as she ran her tongue over her own.

"You are. I know I told you last night, but I just wanted to say it again. You're beautiful, Emily Fitch."

Without a moment's hesitation, Emily brought their lips together urgently. Her hands slid around the sides of Naomi's neck and pulled her down, wanting her closer. Naomi wrapped her arms around her small frame, dropping her sweater on the sidewalk so she could place both hands on Emily's back.

Their lips moved together eagerly. Emily raked her fingers through the back of Naomi's soft blonde hair, tangling her fingers in it and adding to the force of the kiss. The feeling of it all made Naomi respond. She increased her force as well; her hands slowly moved down Emily's back, feeling each firm muscle move under her fingertips. She found Emily's hips and gripped onto her hard, pulling their bodies closer. Emily let out a soft moan into Naomi's mouth as their bodies made contact.

Naomi broke the kiss quickly and moved her head back to look into Emily's eyes. She made her moan. Her hands and fingers and body had made Emily moan. Naomi looked down at her in awe and wonder.

Emily smiled up at the blonde as she untangled her hands from her hair and took a step back. Naomi let go of her as well and suddenly found that her legs had turned to mush. She swayed, but didn't stumble.

She watched Emily gracefully pick up her keys and Naomi's sweater and turn back to the door. She unlocked it and held it open for Naomi. "I've already decided that you're not walking back to your room by yourself at this hour, so I'm not even going to ask if you'd _like_ to come in."

Naomi felt her feet moving forward without question. She was going up to Emily's flat, it was well past two in the morning, and she was going to spend the night with Emily. She didn't have a choice, really, and there was not a single thing that could stop her.

Except, of course, that daunting flight of stairs.

* * *

Naomi was drunk and more than moderately stoned. Her balance was already fucked, her vision blurry at best, and the sudden rush of blood to her...well, it had drained from her head and worked its way down, leaving her quite lightheaded and woozy. Basically, Naomi was lucky to be on her feet at this point.

Emily was drunk and stoned too, but in much better shape than the blonde who staggered backwards while trying to lift her foot up to the first stair. Emily was behind her, making sure the door was closed all the way, and placed a firm hand on Naomi's back, holding her in place.

"These stairs seem to be moving, Ems, and not in a good way." Naomi groped the walls looking for the handrail. There wasn't one and Emily heard the slur of her speech as she spoke. "We could always take the lift, I suppose."

Emily draped Naomi's limp arm over her shoulders and held onto her waist. "Come on, Honey. I'll help you." They proceeded up the stairs, Emily bearing almost the entire weight of the girl she had wrapped around her. Being the daughter of a fitness guru was certainly paying off tonight. _Remember to call dad tomorrow._

"You're wonderful, you know? I mean, your hair is just so red and with your tattoos and everything." Naomi was still talking, but not making complete sense or sentences for that matter. Emily needed to get her in bed fast. She shook her head as she marveled at how that goal's meaning had shifted so drastically in the last few minutes.

"We're almost there, just a few more steps to go." Emily readjusted her grip around her thin waist as Naomi weakly nodded her hanging head.

"It's true, Ems. There are steps and we are stepping, stepping."

They made it to the top of the staircase and Emily briefly let go of Naomi's arm so she could fish her keys out of her pocket and unlock the door.

Realizing that her arm had been released, Naomi let it fall off Emily's shoulders and she slowly, albeit, clumsily, stroked Emily's back, each downward stroke inching closer and closer to Emily's ass.

Emily pushed open the door to her flat and felt a hand firmly squeeze her backside. She playfully slapped Naomi's hand away and Naomi giggled, returning her arm to Emily's shoulders. "Terribly sorry, Ems, but quite impressed."

Emily guided the handsy boozehound through the door and reached back with her foot to kick it shut. She needed to get Naomi settled before she passed out completely. Emily was all muscle, but there was no way she could move dead weight.

For a split second, she contemplated putting Naomi on the couch, but it was horrid to sleep on and she figured she was too tall to fit on it anyway. She continued through the living room and into her bedroom. She hadn't left any lights on, but there was just enough coming in through the window from the street to see the outlines of what she need to.

The blonde was merely shuffling her feet by this point, having lost the ability to take actual steps. Emily turned them around carefully next to her bed. "Alright, Hon. Let's sit."

Naomi followed orders and flopped down heavily on the bed, bringing Emily down with her. Naomi let her arm relax and fall back, then placed her head on Emily's slender shoulder. "Emily?"

The redhead looked over at the blonde's face, her eyes were closed peacefully even though she was still awake, barely. "Yes, Naomi?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. We've all had too much to drink tonight."

Naomi's squeezed her eyes tight and shook her head slightly. "No. I mean, I'm sorry that I can't remember. I want to so badly, but..."

Emily reached over and placed her hand on Naomi's cheek to quiet her. "It's okay." She pressed her lips to her forehead. "It's okay." Emily rested her head against soft blonde hair as she listened to Naomi's breathing even out. "I can remember for both of us."

* * *

Naomi was safely tucked under the covers in Emily's bed. She had passed out almost instantly and Emily had gently moved her into a comfortable resting position, taking off her beat up Converse high-tops and pulling the duvet over her body.

A glass of water and two tablets of headache medicine were placed on the bedside table as Emily gazed down at the sleeping figure.

"Twice. You're gonna do this to me _twice_?" There was no anger in her voice, just amusement, as she shook her head and smirked. Emily leaned over and took one last look at Naomi, her blonde hair cascading over her pillow and glowing in the dim light. "You are so fucking beautiful." She leaned over and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Good night."

Emily closed the door to her bedroom quietly and set about making up the couch so she too could get some sleep. She kicked off her shoes and pulled off her jeans. Her sleeveless shirt made it easy to get out of her bra and she climbed onto the couch and brought the blanket up to her chin.

She was tired, but there were too many thoughts rolling around behind her eyes to sleep. She stared up at the ceiling and thought about the only thing that had been on her mind for the last 48 hours.

_She did tell me that I was beautiful last night. She remembered that. And she knows what I like to drink and she remembered my dad. _Emily held back a laugh. _Oh, the power of advertising. Don't forget to call dad tomorrow._

Emily wiggled under her blanket, trying to get comfortable. _For fuck's sake! This bloody couch. _She continued to squirm and eventually just threw the blankets off so her arms were free and she rested her hands on her stomach.

She grabbed her phone off the coffee table to look at the time. _Christ! I need to sleep._ Emily closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. She licked her lips and swallowed.

_Naomi's lips. Her hands on me, pulling me into her. God, the things I want to do to that girl! The things I'd let her do to me. Fuck!_

Her eyes shot open again; she was wide awake.

* * *

The morning light crept onto Emily's bed and slowly worked its way up to Naomi's sleeping form. She stirred a bit and rolled over onto her back. She slowly opened her eyes, there was a searing pain behind them and she knew why. She closed them again and tried to suppress the sick that was building in her throat. _Breathe. Breathe._

She opened her eyes again and this time it hit her. _I'm NOT in my room! I'm NOT in my bed! Oh fuck! _She bolted upright and scanned the room. The panic that shown in her eyes was not that of not knowing where she was; it was the panic of having been put to bed by the one girl in the world she wanted desperately not to embarrass herself in front of. _Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god._

Naomi covered her face with her hands and laid back down on the pillows. She bit her bottom lip and tried to assess the situation rationally. _We were all pretty drunk. I smoked a shit ton of weed too. Christ! _

Naomi looked over and saw the water and tablets on the bedside table. She smiled as she imagined Emily placing them there for when she woke up.

_Emily!_

Naomi shot up again and touched her lips. _God, that kiss! Her lips. Her hands pulling me closer to her._ Naomi froze. She lifted the covers up and looked down at her lap. _Still in my trousers. Good._ Naomi breathed a sign of relief and ran her fingers through her tousled hair.

* * *

The door to Emily's bedroom opened slowly and a blonde head peaked out from behind it. Wide blue eyes saw a sleeping redhead on what looked like an incredibly uncomfortable couch to sleep on. Naomi opened the door just enough more for her to slip through it and proceeded to tiptoe her way across the living room, sweater on, shoes in hand.

As she reached out to grab the handle of the front door...

"Good morning."

...that deep, sexy, sleepy voice stopped her dead. Naomi closed her eyes. She was caught. She slowly turned to face Emily, a very awake and staring at her Emily.

"Hi."

Emily propped herself up on her elbows. Her hair was messy and she looked so incredibly gorgeous as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. _I'd give anything to wake up next to that every morning._ Naomi smiled and took a seat in the armchair next to the couch, placing her shoes on the floor next to her.

"Do you always try to sneak out before the girl wakes up?" Emily narrowed her eyes.

Naomi scoffed at her question. "Like I've ever spent the night at a girl's flat before!" Naomi smiled out of the side of her mouth and then immediately turned red and looked down at her hands as she realized what she had just revealed.

Emily blushed slightly too, but only because it was so fucking adorable.

"Love 'em and leave 'em, ay?" Emily slung her legs off the side of the couch and got up. The blanket fell off her and Naomi looked up to find very bare legs, tiny, tiny pink boy shorts, and a smirking redhead that was looking down at her. Naomi realized her mouth was hanging open and shut it promptly.

Emily crossed in front of her and made her way into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and a few headache tablets of her own. "So how are you feeling then?"

"Fine. I'm fine." Naomi was lying through her teeth.

Emily raised her eyebrows. "Wow. You're hardcore. I had less to drink and I'm definitely hurting right now." She swallowed down the pills and finished off her glass of water, refilling it, and returning to the couch.

"Yeah, well..." Naomi couldn't think of a single thing to say that sounded remotely cool let alone hardcore, so she chose the opposite. "I wasn't actually going to leave without saying goodbye."

"I know."

"I didn't want to wake you and I needed a fag, so I was-"

"It's fine, Naomi. I was just joking."

"Oh." Naomi looked relieved and sat back in the chair.

There was a pause between them.

"I had a lot of fun with you last night." Emily broke the silence.

"I did too. Lots of fun." Naomi smiled.

"So does that mean you remember it this time?" Emily gave her a cheeky smirk.

Naomi pretended to be offended by the accusation. "Of course I do! I wasn't _that _drunk."

"Says the girl who could barely make it up the stairs and passed out in my arms." Emily threw one of the pillows from the couch at her. Naomi caught it and tossed it back, missing on purpose to avoid actually hitting her with it. She laughed as Emily swatted it away.

"Yeah, well...I can't think of a better place to do so." Naomi looked into Emily's beautiful eyes and held them there just long enough for Emily to feel her sincerity. Emily's eyes reflected it and so much more as she smiled widely, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"I should get going though." Naomi broke their eye contact and pulled on her shoes, not bothering to lace them.

"That's right. Your paper awaits, as does my very impatient sister. It'll be my head if I'm late again for our Sunday breakfast."

"Ah, yes. The Fitch Sisters' Sunday Brunch." Naomi pushed herself up from the chair; Emily got up from the couch. "It's sweet that you and Katie keep a weekly date. It must be hard living alone, away from your best friend."

Emily was following Naomi to the front door, but stopped and shook her head in amazement. Naomi looked back at her to see why.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I told you about all that on Friday." Emily grinned proudly.

"Huh." Naomi nodded. "So you did." She smiled back, opening the door and stepping out onto the small landing.

Emily held the door open. Naomi turned back around. "It's all in there, Ems. I promise."

Naomi leaned in quickly and kissed Emily's lips. "I'll call you." And with that, the blonde took off down the stairs and was gone.

Emily stood there until she heard the door click shut below. She touched her lips with her fingertips and smiled as she felt her heart swell in her chest.

* * *

**You were right Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches; these two are so cute it makes me want to set myself on fire! At the end of every chapter, I really wonder what is going to happen next. Seriously. Maybe it's the booze or my dissociative disorder, but I really do feel like they are saying and doing everything on their own accord and I'm just the stenographer writing it all down.**

**Well, we've reached the end of Ink. I hope you liked it. J/K. We've reached the end of the first TWELVE HOURS of Ink! Oh Christ. What have I gotten myself into?**

**So this is where the story really takes off! It's going to be fast-paced, non-stop, heart-racing action from here on out! I might even cover one whole day in like three...maybe four chapters! Gasp!**

**Please leave me a note on your way out...they make me all kinds of tingly on the inside.**

* * *

**Edit: This was uploaded by itself originally, but it was throwing the chapter count off so I moved it here.**

**A/N: So...this isn't a new chapter. *ducks! glass vase shatters against the wall!* I'm sorry. Chapter 11 will be up soon, but in the meantime, sink your teeth into this! **

**Some of you might already know about the insane talents of Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches. If you haven't done so, check out her epic soundtrack for Coin Laundry by LuvActually (posted at the end of the story). As sad as we all were to see the conclusion of Coin Laundry, I cannot be more ecstatic that HMHDHB has now taken Ink under her protective musical wings and will be providing us with the songs that will bring the story to life. Can you feel the excitement in the air?**

**So here's what you do: Click on back to Chapter 1, warm up your internets and your iTunes and your HypeMachines, listen to the songs on Vol. 1, and prepare yourself to be dazzled by...**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 1 **

**1. Make Out Fall Out Make Up- Love Is All**  
Naomi wakes up. So, I wanted to do all covers (as you know) but it was too hard and I was too lazy. I had an Of Montreal cover of this track but it wasn't loud enough. I want this song to be splitting Naomi's head in half. But this was the first song that I thought of when I read the first chapter, so the song stays. **(Blondie: The loudness is key to this pick! I loved your idea for all covers, but you made the right choice. Remember all the crazy dancing we did at the Love Is All show? Haha! That was fun.)**

**2. On Parade- Electralane**  
Naomi pacing/talking to Cook. If this isn't perfect pacing music, I don't know what is. This is a song picked strictly for the music and not the lyrics, which makes sense with these ladies because I have no idea what is being said. **(Blondie: It's like Naomi is gearing up for battle...her marching music. Love it!)**

**3. Take Me To the Riot- Stars**  
Naomi reflecting on her relationship with Cook. This was actually really tough to pick. I didn't want anything slow but also anything too upbeat wouldn't work as well. I love this song, so boom, here it is. **(Blondie: Pretty much any time spent with Cook is a riot, yeah?)**

**4. Friendly Ghost- Harlem**  
Naomi and Cook talk about last night. I wanted all the songs referencing that night to be a bit sloppy, and I love shit that sounds like this. This is one of my favorite songs right now and I think the lyrics are fairly apt. **(Blondie: Haha! Sloppy is the BEST word to describe their lost night.)**

**5. I'm Good I'm Gone (Black Kids Remix)- Lykke Li  
**Naomi and Jenn at Keith's pub. Good semi-hipster pub music. They upped the quality for Naomi's party. I just really like this song for this scene. **(Blondie: Love me some Lykke Li! Especially when girls are flirting and making out.) **

**6. Barnacle Goose- Born Ruffians  
**Naomi after Cook leaves. Another song I love, and I think its perfect for her right now. **(Blondie: She's got a lot on her mind, but then again, when does Naomi NOT have a lot on her mind? Her mind is like Katie's text messages: never shuts up!)**

**7. Date With the Night- YYYs**  
Naomi wakes up. This was probably the second song I thought of for this chapter after Make Out Fall Out Make Out. When Karen O starts singing is the second Naomi wakes up. She wakes with a start and it's aggressive and raw and unlike anything else Naomi remembers experiencing. **(Blondie: Such a great song for this moment! The music alone is perfect, but then with those lyrics...Your date with the night is Emily Fucking Fitch, so get ready for it Naoms!) **

**So there you have it. Chapter 1 is now fully-soundtracked and is all the better for it. I was just notified that SD Vol. 2 is nearly finished so keep your vaginas on for that one.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: The addiction is really taking hold of me. I just want to open-mouth kiss all of you for being so lovely and wonderful to my little story about tattoos and blacking out. It warms my heart.**

**Hello to all the new readers! Welcome aboard! In a few moments, our lovely crew members will be passing out complimentary champagne and caviar – scratch that! – Jack Daniels and buffalo wings – to all our passengers. Please enjoy your flight.  
**

* * *

Chapter 11

It had turned out to be quite a lovely Sunday. Sunlight attempted to shine through the window into Naomi's dorm room, the cheerful hum of life outside on the streets buzzed through the spotted glass. It was a perfect day for enjoying a cup of coffee and a fag outside, in the sun, with eggs and toast and Emily. _No! Focus._

The grumpy, hung-over, and slightly panicked blonde sat hunched over her desk, typing away on her computer and thumbing through giant, leather-bound books, desperately searching for answers, as she raced to beat the clock.

_You knew you needed the whole weekend for this paper. What happened to your fucking plan, Naomi? Cook calls and you can't say no to Cook once he's got an idea in his head, can you? Fuck!_Naomi angrily hit the delete button repeatedly as she erased the last sentence she had typed, which upon rereading, was nothing but rambling.  
_  
Go out with Cook on Friday. Fine. No big deal. You'll have plenty of time. All day Saturday and Sunday to work. But what did you do instead? _

Naomi stopped herself right there. She had been struggling to find her focus since she returned to her room, since kissing Emily goodbye, since seeing Emily in just her knickers and a thin cotton shirt. Naomi closed her eyes as the images whirled around in her brain, knocking all other thoughts into the background. _Stop it!_

She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. She placed her fingers back on the keyboard and read back the paragraph she had just written. _How can someone look so fucking good first thing in the morning?_

_

* * *

_

"You look like shit." Katie regarded her sister as she sat down across from her at their favorite cafe and weekly brunch spot. The older twin was done up to the nines and looking flawless.

"Lovely to see you too, Sis." Emily grabbed the cup of coffee that was waiting for her on the table. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, clean face without any makeup. She looked radiant.

"You're late again by the way. Is that like a lezzer thing? Is it genetically impossible for your people to be on fucking time or something?"

Emily glared over the rim of her coffee cup at her irritating sister. Katie glared right back and they held it there for a moment before bursting into laughter. "You are such a cunt."

"I guess that means you love me." Katie smirked as a look of horror spread over Emily's face.

"That is the most disgusting thing you have ever said to me!"

"Serves you right. Don't be late next time!" Katie picked up a menu off the table and held it up to her face. "Let's order. I'm starving."

* * *

Naomi was sat on the sill of her open window, smoking and looking out on the street below. Her laptop was sitting open on her bed surrounded by all the same dense books from before. Her desk had become a bit stifling; she couldn't sit still, so she had changed locations. After several minutes of staring at the screen, fingers poised and waiting to type, she had decided a cigarette was in order.

As much as the nicotine had been calling to her, the thing that was actually causing the blonde's focus to waver continuously was her wrist. Every time she reached to turn a page or ran her fingers through her hair, she saw it. Her perfect, little letter E. Every time it caught her eye, she thought about her. She thought about Emily. She couldn't stop herself from replaying every moment they had shared the night before and earlier that morning over and over again.

And she wanted to. She wanted her entire mind to be saturated with Emily Fitch and she was accomplishing that quite easily. Each breath held Emily's scent. Every blink of her eyes revealed another image of her gorgeous form. The tattoos on her arm were etched into her brain. The greens and browns of the trees, the blue of the lake. How could she be expected to concentrate on school work when those thoughts overwhelmed her brain? They blinded her and stole her thoughts away from the very important paper that was due at 8 o'clock the next morning.

"For fuck's sake," Naomi mumbled as she stamped out her fag in the ashtray on the sill. She crawled back onto her cluttered bed and took her place in the middle of her books, sitting cross-legged and pouting with her chin in her hands like a child who has been sent to her room to think about what she had done. But really, that was the problem. She just couldn't stop thinking about what she'd done and what she desperately wanted to do next.

* * *

"And then I said that if he didn't have it ready by 2 o'clock, he could pack up his desk and get to fuck." Katie was beaming as she retold the story of her triumphant run-in with her boss' ungrateful nephew who only held a position in the firm because he was family.

"Can you do that?" Emily was working on her forth cup of coffee and scrambled eggs.

"Do what?" Katie swallowed down the last of her mimosa and signaled to the waiter for another.

"Can you just sack someone like that? You barely started working there and-"

Emily was cut-off as Katie scoffed at her question. "Of course I can't, Emily. It's not about the truth; it's about intimidation and self-preservation. You know nothing about fashion...obviously." Katie looked her up and down for the second time that morning.

"Christ, Katie! I had a long night, okay? I'm sorry if I don't want to spend two hours in front of the mirror on a Sunday morning when I could be sleeping." Emily had gotten used to Katie's critical-eye over the years, but it still pissed her off. The amount of time it took her sister to get ready, Jesus! Sharing a bathroom with Katie Fitch was one of the most harrowing feats of her adolescences and that included coming out to her parents.

Katie smirked at her identical _looking_ twin. "Long night, huh?"

Emily rolled her eyes and poured herself another cup of coffee; the waiter had decided to just leave the pot on the table after he had poured her third cup. "It was nothing like that."

"Oh please! It was that blonde, wasn't it? So she did call you then? I knew she would. I mean, you don't get a Fitch phone number and _not _call the next day. That would just be-"

"Yes! I was with Naomi."

"I knew it! See, didn't I tell you? I knew you fancied her by the way you were talking about her yesterday. Christ, it was like a fucking flashback to college when you couldn't shut up about Effy Stonem for more than five minutes."

"She is _nothing_ like Effy." There was a subtle flash of anger in Emily's voice that went unnoticed by her twin.

"So what is she like then?" The waiter had been successfully flagged down and Katie sat with a freshly poured mimosa in her hand as she waited for Emily to describe her mystery girl.

"She's really clever; she goes to Goldsmiths. She's studying law and politics." Emily was doing some beaming of her own as she spoke about Naomi.

"Wow. She sounds super hot." Katie couldn't help but chuckle at her own joke until she saw the hurt in Emily's eyes.

"She's rather beautiful, actually." Emily glared at her sister.

"Emsy, I'm joking. I'm sure she's a babe. You always pull hot ones. You're a Fitch."

Emily had to smile at that. If there was one thing that made her proud to be a Fitch, it was Katie constantly reminding her to be proud to be a Fitch.

* * *

Naomi sat on the floor with her back resting against her bed, ashtray at her side, smoking openly in her room. Her computer rested on her lap, her law books were scattered half on the floor, half still on top of the bed. Her left arm was folded across her chest, her right elbow resting on it as she held her cigarette at eye-level.

She tried not to look at it. She fixed her gaze on the computer screen. She tried to focus on the thesis of her paper and plan her next talking-point. She looked over at the bookshelf next to the door. She set her sights on the pale blue curtains that were gently flapping in the breeze coming through the open window. But it wasn't enough.

Before she had a chance to stop herself, her fingertips were drawn to it, lightly tracing the outline of her tattoo, her letter E, its delicate form reflecting patterns in Naomi's deep blue eyes. It felt different, her skin felt different. It wasn't just the way it looked. Her nerve endings tingled and hummed; there was electricity radiating from the sensitive skin on her wrist.

In that moment, she realized something. As obvious as it must be to some, she had never thought of it before. She understood, just then, that she had not just gotten a tattoo. She had been _tattooed_. It wasn't just the way it looked on her skin; it wasn't that she was going to have to deal with it being there and visible for the rest of her life. That wasn't it at all.

As she brought her wrist up to her cheek and gently touched it there, her eyes closing at the contact, she knew that it was the way it felt, the way it made her feel, the emotions it stirred inside of her, that she was going to have to contend with forever. She had been changed in a way that she had never thought possible and she didn't think she was ever going to be able to get used to that.

* * *

"So are you going to see her again?" Katie asked the question once Emily had reached the end of her story. A slightly condensed version of the story that conveniently left out all the parts that involved Jagermeister and Naomi having no fucking clue who Emily was the next day.

"I'm not sure." Emily played with the handle on her coffee cup.

"What? Why are you being so weird on this girl?" Katie did not understand Emily's apprehension.

"Can't things ever be complicated?"

"Yeah, they can, but what's so complicated about this? You met a hot girl and had a fucking great night. You spent the next night together and it was awesome too. And now you can't figure out if you want to see her again? What the fuck, Emily?"

"It's...it's just...not that simple, okay?" Emily wouldn't make eye contact.

Katie could tell that Emily wanted to stop talking about it, which made her want to talk about it even more. "Oh my God, Emily." Katie stared at her until she met her eyes.

"What?"

"She's straight, isn't she?"

"Oh Christ, Katie." Emily rolled her eyes.

"She is! I knew it! Why do you insist on chasing after straight fanny all the time? It's ludicrous! I know you've been able to turn a few of them over the years, but really, Emily, does it make you happy?" Katie looked sympathetically into her twin's brown eyes.

"She's not straight, Katie."

"Fine. Then fucking ask her out already and stop being such a twat. Check please!"

* * *

The sun had set a while ago. Naomi was back at her desk, open books surrounding her. She held a pen between her teeth as the hammered away on the keys, the only light in the room emanating from her computer screen. She strained her eyes to read from the page of one of her books and finally acknowledged that she needed more light.

She got up from her desk and crossed to the light switch by the door and flipped it on. She squinted through the sudden brightness and rubbed her tired eyes. She took advantage of her now standing position and stretched both hands up above her head, which prompted a yawn and the pen she had been holding between her lips to drop to the floor.

As she crouched down to pick it up, she looked over at the pile of shoes, keys, jeans and sweater she had left in a heap upon returning to her room that morning. It was the blinking light on her phone that had drawn her attention.

She picked it up and immediately sat down on her bed to read the new text message from Emily. She had been thinking about her all bloody day, but had not once checked her phone for a message. She hadn't even thought about sending Emily a message either. And come to think of it, she completely forgot to call Cook and scream at him for being such a twating cunt!

_All in good time, but first things first. _Naomi opened the message from Emily and instantly smiled.

Hi. Fitch Brunch was  
eventful. Katie had  
5 mimosas & was  
flirting with r waiter  
relentlessly. I had  
coffee, lots of it.  
How is the paper  
writing? Sorry that  
I distracted you  
yesterday. I'm sure  
you'll get top marks  
anyway. X

If she only knew the level of distraction she had put the blonde through today. Naomi grinned as she read the text again. She checked the time. _Jesus! 11:36! _She looked to see when Emily had sent the message. _2:15! Christ! She's going to think I've been ignoring her all day._

Naomi quickly pressed the reply button and then froze. Her writer's block reared its ugly head for the millionth time that day. After typing and re-typing and deleting several times, Naomi was satisfied and read through her message one more time.

Hey. Almost done w/  
the paper. Spent all  
day writing. Got your  
msg just now. Brunch  
sounds fun. I've made  
it the entire day w/o  
coffee, not sure how.  
Ah, yes. Empty box  
of fags on the desk.  
That's how. I am  
quitting. Don't laugh.  
X

Naomi hit the send button and switched her phone from vibrate to ringer. She checked her alarm clock that was programmed according to her daily class schedule. _Monday: 6:30 AM. _The thought of it was sickening. The blonde knew she had at least four hours of work left to do on her paper, any grade lower than an A was not acceptable, no matter what the circumstances.

Naomi placed her phone on the bedside table and plugged it into the charger. She stretched and yawned and got up off the bed. She sat back down at her desk and picked up where she had left off.

Her phone rang out into the silent room and she leapt for it like a jungle cat. The caller ID told her Emily was calling. She sat on her bed and prepared herself to answer it.

N: Hello?

E: Hi.

Hearing her deep, sexy, raspy voice was like music to Naomi's ears.

N: Hi. I didn't wake you with my text, did I?

Naomi could hear the amusement in Emily's voice.

E: No. I am still awake. I _am_ in bed though.

_Christ. Why did she have to tell me that?  
_

N: So, an early night then?

E: Yeah, big day tomorrow.

N: Loads of tattoos to see to, yeah?

Emily just laughed.

E: Yeah, something like that. What time is your paper due?

N: 8 o'clock I'm afraid.

E: Ouch. Well, I should let you go then.

N: But you haven't told me the real reason you called.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

N: Did Katie get the waiter's phone number or not?

Emily laughed and Naomi smiled proudly as she listened to the gorgeous sound.

E: Of course she did, Naoms. She's a Fitch.

They laughed and said their goodnights, but not before Emily had reminded her once again that it was _she_ who had called Naomi, not the other way around, even though Naomi had again promised she would. The blonde pledged not to let that happen again.

Naomi placed her phone back on the bedside table and smiled. "What a great fucking weekend this has been."

She jumped up, ready to finish her paper, ready to finish ten bloody papers! Everything had been sorted. Emily had called her. Emily wanted to talk to her again. Emily wanted to see her again, maybe. She wasn't sure, but she was going to figure that out later. Everything was going to be okay from here on out.

* * *

**So tell me: Was the wait for Katie Fitch worth it? I hope she didn't disappoint. I realized that as fun as Katie is to write, she's also quite intimidating to write. She's just so Katie and I really wanted her to sound authentic. (And let's face it; you DON'T want to piss that girl off!)**

**Um…so…yeah. One day. One day in one chapter! Hell yeah! None of you thought I could do it, did ya? Hahaha! Come on, don't lie. In fact, why don't you just send me a little note and I'll forgive you for doubting me. *wink!***


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: None of you can imagine the pressure I'm under to get this posted. My lady told me that if I didn't get the new chapter up by 9:00 PM, I would not be allowed to drink, smoke, or look at breasts for a week. This has not been proofread. I will go back tomorrow and fix any mistakes. Bless me...I've got 2 minutes left!**

* * *

Chapter 12

"Hello?" Naomi smiled into her phone with the anticipation of hearing the raspy reply of Emily Fitch. The 'Fitch' part had been added to the redhead's first name in Naomi's list of contacts. There was no reason for it really; she didn't know any other Emilys, she just liked the way it looked and echoed through her mind every time she saw it flash on the screen. _Emily Fitch._

"Hello, Naomi." Emily's grin was already ear-to-ear the second she pressed the call button on her phone. It was the fourth time that day, actually, that she had smiled like that.

The first time was caused by a text message she received on her way out the door of a coffee shop that morning:

I hope it's not too  
early. Paper is  
complete & handed  
in. 'A' material for  
sure. I'm nothing if  
not modest, yeah?  
You working today,  
Ems?

Emily thought about her reply for a good five minutes while she walked and sipped her coffee, a heavy bag pulling on her shoulder.

I'm always up at  
this time, well, not  
on the weekends  
of course.

_Christ. _She deleted what she had just written. _Why don't I just give her the fucking set-points of my alarm clock?_

She tried again.

I'm definitely awake.  
Congrats on getting  
the paper done. You  
will definitely

_Delete definitely...already used it._

certainly receive an  
'A' mark. I can feel  
it. Not working at the  
shop 'til 4. We've got  
a 30-stone man in at  
6 to have his under  
arm made to look like  
an open mouth. Poor  
Effy. : ( Have a  
lovely day.  
xEx

The second time Emily couldn't suppress the wide and beaming smile from spreading across her face was while seeing one missed call from Naomi and listening to one very rambling but adorable voice message:

"Hey, Ems. Just following through on my promise. I called _you_, see? And now you're not there. I mean, you're there, obviously. I'm calling your mobile phone so you are pretty much always _there_, with it...in your pocket or...I guess if you left it at your flat, you wouldn't be with it, or more so, it with you, but now I've gone way off. (pause) Call me back then...if you want."

Not only was Emily smiling like a fool as she listened to it, she also swore that she heard an exasperated "shit" at the end of the message right before it cut out, and that made her actually laugh out loud with delight. _Definitely saving that one._ The redhead tucked her phone back into her pocket as she disappeared through the giant wooden doors of a large stone building.

The third time, it was late afternoon, and Emily finally got the chance to check her phone as she walked back towards her neighborhood, towards the tattoo shop. She guessed that her lack of response had caused alarm in the blonde girl that she couldn't stop thinking about all day, so she quickly read the series of escalating texts, all six of them, before calling Naomi back.

Text 1:  
Ugh. Just heading into  
my least favorite class.  
My phone will be on  
silent for the next hour.  
I hope your day is  
going well.

Text 2:  
Just finished my last  
class for the day. I  
am completely free for  
the rest of the evening.  
I won't have my phone  
on silent anymore, so  
call me back when you  
get a chance. No rush.

Text 3:  
I just had an intense  
craving for that curry.  
Maybe we could go  
again some time  
soon.

Text 4:  
Perhaps my theory on  
you leaving your  
phone at home and  
thus it not being with  
you has been proven  
true. Well if so, call  
me back whenever  
you reunite with it.

Text 5:  
Sorry for all the texts.

Text 6:  
Is everything okay?  
I know you said you  
don't start work til 4  
so I just hope that  
you're okay. You can  
tell me if something's  
wrong. Okay?

_Oh Christ!_ Emily waited for the blonde to answer her call as she smiled that fourth Naomi-inspired smile of the day.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Naomi." Emily smirked and shifted her bag onto her other shoulder as she continued on her way.

"Hi. I was just thinking about you." Naomi literally made herself blush as those words came out of her mouth before she could think of something less ridiculous to say.

"So I've gathered..."

"Yeah, sorry about-"

"No, I'm sorry. I was busy all day and my phone was turned off so I just got your texts and I'd love to go out with you...to get curry." Now it was Emily's turn to blush.

"Yeah?" Naomi cleared her throat and brought it down a notch. "Yeah, that would be great. I'd like that a lot."

"Good. Well, since _you're_ free for the rest of the evening, and I'm on my way to go assist with a grotesque armpit tattoo, you can pick up the take-away and I'll see you at the shop at seven?"

Naomi's stomach had turned at the mental image of the fat man's tattoo, but it quickly turned into a fluttering mess when she let Emily's idea sink in. _I'm going to see Emily tonight. I'm going to see Emily tonight. Emily Fitch. Tonight._

"Naomi? Naomi? Are you there?"

The blonde had forgotten to confirm Emily's proposal. "I'm here! Sorry. Yes. I'll pick-up and seven. I'll be there at seven. Yes."

"Alright. See you then, Naomi."

"See you."

The girls said their goodbyes. Emily pushed through the shop door with its familiar jingle. Naomi clutched her phone to her chest as she lay on her bed, looking up at the ceiling, starry-eyed, and suddenly realized _I've nothing to wear!_

* * *

"Cook! Answer your fucking phone you knob! I've been trying you all day. Christ!" Naomi paused and took a breath. "I would really just like to talk to you, is all. I'm...I think I might remember some stuff from Friday and I just want to talk to you, okay? Alright, bye."

Naomi snapped her phone shut and tossed it on her bed, which was littered with the entire contents of her wardrobe. The blonde stared down at the heap of clothing, trying to focus on the task at hand. _Okay...just take-away and hanging out at the shop. Casual. _

Her phone beeped from its place in the pile. A text from Cook:

Sorry babes. Too loud  
in the pub. Talk later.

Naomi angrily typed a text back:

No prob. I'll tell Effy  
you say hello.

_Fuck! _Cook was avoiding her and she knew it. During the last seven months since she'd moved to London, he had always made time to check in and chat a bit. At the very least, he'd send her obscene messages about what he'd been up to the night before, photographic evidence included. Please, _I need to talk to you, Cook._

_

* * *

_  
"Stop flinching."

"I'm sorry, Efs. It just hurts real bad, yeah."

Effy rolled her eyes and continued on. The buzzing of the gun echoed through the tattooing room along with the stifled whimpers of the giant man laid out on The Chair, his under arm on full display in front of her.

Emily, who was sat across, tried to offer some comfort to the big guy. "We're almost done now, Bruce. Remember the breathing exercises I showed you? Let's try it again, yeah?" Emily led Bruce through a few rounds of lamaze. "There you go. Is it helping?"

Bruce nodded his head at Emily appreciatively and continued the breathing technique. Emily patted him on the shoulder.

Effy smiled wickedly when her needled hit a particularly sensitive spot and Bruce yelped in pain. "Sorry. Accident."

Emily gave her a scolding look. "You're doing great, Bruce. Keep it up."

The bell on the front door rang out. Emily practically leaped from her seat to answer it.

Effy eyes were on her as she raced out of the room.

As Emily turned the corner, she was greeted by a ravishing blonde, holding a bag of take-away containers and wearing a sassy smirk.

"Hi!" Emily was more than just a bit excited to see her, but then she noticed the smirk. "What?"

"Oh nothing." Naomi sauntered over to the front desk and placed the bag on it.

"Why do you have that look on your face then?" Emily stepped behind the desk and stood across from Naomi, who scrunched up her face as if to think something over. "Oh my god. Was Chrystal there? Did she give you a hard time?"

Naomi raised her eyebrows and bit her bottom lip. "No. Chrystal was not there."

Emily seemed relieved.

"But _Britney_ was." Naomi gave the redhead a pointed look.

Now it was Emily turn to scrunch up her face.

"Really, Emily?"

"I go there a lot," Emily offered as an excuse.

"Yeah. Obviously. All I had to say was 'the sexy redhead from the tattoo parlour' and it was like I had spoken the secret password or something." Naomi tried to play offended, but her smirk was showing.

"Why did you mention me at all?"

"How else could I have ordered? I got your usual." Naomi gestured to the bag on the counter.

"Oh. Right." Emily smiled that adorable crooked smile of hers, which was met by an equally adorable smile from Naomi. They probably would have stayed there like that, grinning at each other like fools, if Bruce hadn't let another yelp break the moment.

"Is that the armpit man?"

"Yep. Thank god you arrived. He's lovely, but really, such a pussy." Emily shook her head in disapproval. "I had to coach him through lamaze just so he would calm down."

Naomi's eyes were wide with amusement. "Since when do you know lamaze?"

"Comes with the territory." Emily gave the blonde a wink and picked up the bag of food.

She crossed over to the couch by the front window and sat on the floor, the coffee table in front of her, her back to the couch. Naomi followed, but hesitated when it came time to decide which side of the table to sit on. Emily made it easy for her.

"Sit by me. It's more comfortable with your back against the couch."

Naomi did so as Emily unpacked the food. "You got Cobras as well? Nice."

"Yeah, I figured that was part of your usual."

Emily pulled her keys out of her pocket and used the bottle opener on the keyring. She handed one to Naomi and opened the other for herself. "Cheers then." They clinked bottles and silence fell between them.

They both reached for the containers and tucked right into the delicious curry.

"So you think I'm sexy, then?"

Naomi almost choked, but managed to swallow down the mouthful of food without incident. "I'm sorry?"

"The sexy redhead from the tattoo parlour?"

Naomi blushed furiously. "I did say that, didn't I?"

"Yeah you did." Emily was enjoying getting Naomi on the hook and watching her wiggle.

"Well...I was trying to find the words to describe you without being disrespectful. But damn, Emily. You're a sexy Fitch." Naomi continued to eat as if nothing was said. It was Emily's turn to choke on her mouthful.

* * *

The rest of their dinner was spent talking about one of Naomi's favorite topics, injustice and she was particularly fired up on the subject due to a lecture from earlier in the day. Emily sat quietly and listened to every word. She nodded and added "yeahs" and "uh huhs" every so often.

It wasn't that Emily didn't have anything to say on the topic; she was just too enthralled by the passion and enthusiasm spilling out of the girl sitting so closely beside her that she couldn't bring herself to interject. Naomi happily blathered on until she caught sight of a giant man towering above her.

Her eyes trailed up his giant frame and her mouth hung open in awe.

"So you all done then, Bruce?"

"Yeah. Thanks again, Emily. Them breathin' things really helped, yeah."

"I'm glad. You did pick one of the most sensitive areas of the human body to get tattooed."

Bruce shrugged and lifted his arm to show off his new ink. "It was worth it though."

Emily nodded politely. Naomi dropped her fork and did her best not to look disgusted.

"Alright, girls. Lovely night." And with that, Bruce was gone.

Emily and Naomi squealed with laughter as soon as the door shut behind him.

"Jesus Christ!" Naomi shook her head.

"Katie's coming 'round."

The two girls' heads snapped up to look in the direction from which the voice came. Effy stood in the doorway, staring at them.

"What?" Emily asked nervously.

"Katie. Your sister."

Emily rolled her eyes at Effy's non-answer and looked over at Naomi. "It seems my sister is stopping by."

"Cool." Naomi said 'cool,' but her expression was anything but.

Emily got up from the floor and crossed over to Effy. "Can I talk to you for a second?" She grabbed Effy's arm without waiting for her to reply and pulled her into the back room.

"What the fuck, Effy?"

Effy stared at her and waited.

"I haven't really had a chance to prepare Naomi to meet Katie."

"And you haven't told Katie that Naomi can't remember your first night together."

Emily looked down at the floor.

"I can't imagine she's going to like that very much."

Effy pushed past her and left her to panic on her own.

* * *

**Aw shit! **

* * *

**Just so I don't get any more mean looks or pokes in the eye for posting another non-chapter update, the musical brilliance of Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches will be posted right here. *points to the space right below this*  
**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 2**

**8. No Hope Kids- WAVVES**  
Naomi looking for tattoo parlors. Right now I want all the chapters to start really strong and kind of loud. Naomi is a mess right now and I love this song as the song that is screaming through her head. Though, it's a song that sounds like this, it's not this song because Naoms isn't cool enough to know about WAVVES. **(Blondie: This is more of just a general note about your picks: You are so good at finding songs that match the characters and the situations that they are in. Both the music and the lyrics are so perfect for each scene. I love this song for Naomi!)**

**9. Sylvia- Miike Snow**  
Naomi meets Emily for the first time. Again. There are a lot of lovely Miike Snow songs but this one was just perfectly dramatic and gosh, just imaging little Naomi seeing Emily for the first time with this playing... **(Blondie: Swoon! Although this song has always belonged, in my heart, to a redhead by the name of Silvia Castro, I think I can make some room for our little Emsy. I miss PepSi SO MUCH!)**

**10. HYPNTZ- Dan Black**  
Naomi and Emily in the back room. My first cover! This song is so so cool, much like Emily. All the songs played in the tattoo parlor are Emily's selection. And fuck if Naomi isn't a bit hypnotized. **(Blondie: Oh Dan Black! My personal soundtrack for my own life is about 87% Dan Black, so thank you for this one. Naoms can't get enough of Em's music picks. I know how she feels!)**

**11. Song For No One- Miike Snow**  
Emily and Naomi part ways. Fuck if Emily isn't a huge Miike Snow fan. This song has a cute little "ending credits" quality to it. And I just like it for these two. **(Blondie: This does have an "ending credits" feel to it! I love it for this moment; it's like the point of the story where everything kind of kicks off, you know?)**

**12. Wishing Well- Love is All**  
Naomi walking around/reading her texts. Right now Love Is All is kind of the Naomi band, which works out because they are a favorite of mine. Their music is lovely and frantic and so is Naomi. **(Blondie: This band completely works for our Naoms...she's a mess, but she's doing her best to keep it together.)**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey friends. The bar is open! I know I've mentioned it before, but seriously, thank you so much for your reviews. Each and every one of you puts a smile on my face with your kind words.**

**Oh and Circ? Circ! Can you hear me? I know you are very, very far away, but I wish you well. Good luck with the research for **_**Vanishing 2**_**! It's going to be the summer blockbuster of 2010, just like **_**Jaws**_** was in 1975 except a story and in 2010.  
**

* * *

Chapter 13

Emily tilted her head back, eyes closed, and took a moment to breathe. _Breathe. Breathe. It's just Katie. She'll behave herself. She'll be polite and ask questions. Fuck! She's going to ask so many questions._ Emily shook her head and massaged her temples with her fingertips. She suddenly felt quite overwhelmed and a bit panicked in that back room all alone.

_I'll just tell her the truth. I'll just tell her what really happened and then there won't be anything to hide. _She pulled her phone out of her pocket and called Katie. As she waited for her sister to pick up, she thought about what she was going to say.

_So I kind of forgot to mention that Naomi can't remember meeting me because she was blacked out, but she found me by accident the following day, so we've been getting to know each other and I've been pretending like nothing happened so don't say anything, okay?_ Emily ended the call before Katie had a chance to answer.

Pretending like nothing happened; Emily had become rather skilled at that craft over the years. She had always been good at concealing the truth, had a lot of practice in that department, growing up with a wild older sister and a weasely little brother.

_Where's Katie? Study group for her history exam. How did James get that bruise on his arm? Not sure, but he did say that Gordon MacPherson has been giving him trouble lately. Do I smell cigarette smoke? The man next to me at the bus stop was smoking. Are there any boys at school that you fancy? Nope, I don't fancy any boys. __  
_  
Covering up the truth was easy. Pretending like nothing happened, well that was only possible if something actually happen first, which then had to be ignored. And for Emily Fitch, the younger twin, the shy twin, the bookish twin, the un-cool, the un-sexy, nothing much ever happened to her. That was until the first day of college, when mysterious, cool blue eyes found hers and she didn't look away.

_Shit! Effy! _Emily raced out of the back room. She had left Naomi out there alone with Effy!

To her stunning surprise, upon turning the corner and practically falling into the front room, Naomi was perfectly fine...sitting on the couch...next to Effy...sharing a spliff...and _laughing_. They were laughing. Emily picked her jaw up off the floor.

"We thought you got lost back there." Effy smiled at the skeptical redhead who was approaching them with caution. Emily made eye contact with Naomi who gave her a wink as she passed the spliff back to Effy.

"Effy and I were just talking about armpit-mouth man." Naomi raised her eyebrows and glanced over at the dark haired girl beside her, giving Emily a small smile that said _look, I'm making friends_.

Effy laughed, a very uncharacteristic laugh that only Emily recognized, as she picked up the conversation where they had left it. "Well, when he first came in, Ems warned him about how painful it would be. She knows about all that stuff, of course. And he walks in here all tough, in his leather vest, and the second I get him on his back, he's whimpering like a little puppy."

"Emily used the word pussy, didn't you Em?" Naomi took another hit off the spliff, which Effy had just handed back to her.

Effy shook her head, her eyes losing their cheer at once. "Men. They have no tolerance for pain." She got to her feet, rounded the coffee table, and turned to say one more thing to Naomi. "You were lovely, by the way. That little E didn't hurt you one bit." Effy's steel blue eyes found the nervous brown ones of the girl now standing to her left. "Did it, Emily?"

Emily stared back at Effy for just a moment before breaking her gaze, eyes locking onto Naomi's. "You were amazing that night."

Naomi leaned forward, a slight smile played across her lips, and she offered Emily the spliff, arm outstretched.

There was a jingle, the door flew open, and Naomi was dead in the water before she even had a chance to scream.

"Are you giving _my little sister_ drugs?"

* * *

There standing before her, clenched fists resting on hips, dark red hair pulled up and pinned back with style, smart suit and matching handbag, was Katie Fitch, Emily's _twin_ sister. And where was Naomi, deer in the headlights, smoldering stick of illegal drugs in her hand, with curry containers littering the coffee table? Fucked. That's where she was. Fucked.

Katie marched over to the blonde who was frozen in place and snatched the spliff out of her hand. She held it between her thumb and forefinger and waved it in front of the blonde's face. "What the fuck is this?"

Naomi couldn't respond. _Fuck! _She was dumbstruck. _Fuck!_ She looked up at the face of the girl she hadn't stop thinking about for days, but it wasn't her face. _Fuck!_ It was the same, but different. _Fuck!_ Her eyes were the same, but not the same. _Fuck!_ Her hair was red, but darker. _Fuck!_ And she wasn't one hundred percent sure, but she could have sworn she heard a slight lisp.

"I...uh...I..." Naomi floundered.

"You could have at least offered me some." Katie flipped the spliff around with expert fingers and placed it between her lips with ease. She took a long, deep drag and exhaled the smoke slowly into the air. "Fuck that's good."

Naomi's mouth hung open, she stared at Katie and then at Emily. Back to Katie. Back to Emily. Effy watched the entire exchange with a delighted smile on her face.

"She's just joking, Naomi. It's okay." Emily reached out and squeezed Naomi's hand, which was still frozen in the air. Naomi retracted her hand and sat back on the couch. Then immediately realized she was being rude and sprang to her feet.

"I...I...I'm Naomi. You scared the shit out of me." She held out her hand to the older twin.

Katie looked down at it and cocked an eyebrow.

Emily plucked the spliff from between Katie's fingers with her right hand and slugged her in the shoulder with the other, all in one fluid motion. "Be nice, Katie."

Katie rolled her eyes and took Naomi's hand, shaking it firmly. "Hi. I'm Katie Fitch, Emily's older sister and today is your lucky day." She increased her grip on Naomi's hand. "I've just been told to play nice. But just remember, I'm not nice and if you so much as-"

Katie didn't get to finish her big sister warning speech. "Katie, stop it!" Emily placed the spliff in her mouth and pulled their hands apart.

"Christ, Ems. I'm only joking. Naomi knows I'm joking. Don't you, Naomi?" Katie shot the blonde a look that said _there is only one correct answer to this_.

"Yeah, just joking around. Nice to meet you, Katie." Naomi showed her a sincere smile, but couldn't hide the fear that was churning right beneath the surface.

"See. It's like we're old friends already." Katie gracefully sat down on the couch and made a move to place her purse on the coffee table, but stopped as she raised an eyebrow at the mess of food containers and empty bottles.

Naomi, as if it were her own flat and a guest had just arrived, quickly cleared the table of its contents, wiping it clean with a paper napkin. Effy took a seat on the couch against the other wall and Emily grabbed some beers out of the little fridge behind the front desk.

"You want a beer, Katie?" Emily took the last drag off the spliff and stamped it out in an ashtray.

"Ugh. No Emily. Do you have any idea how many calories are in those things?"

Emily frowned while she studied the label on the bottle in her hand. "Oh. Do you have any idea of how much I don't give a fuck?" She gave her sister a fake smile and opened the beer. She gave Naomi a wink and gulped it down.

Naomi, hands full of trash, crossed over to Emily in search of a bin.

"Here you go, Babe." Emily gestured to the bin under the desk.

Katie's eyebrow quirked up again and she exchanged a glance with Effy. "So Naomi?"

Naomi looked up from behind the counter. "Yes?" Emily handed her a beer.

"What is it that you do?"

"I'm at university at the moment, Goldsmiths, studying law and politics."

Katie nodded her head as if it was the first time she had heard this information. "And what do you plan to do after you graduate?"

"Christ, Katie. This isn't a fucking job interview." Emily walked back over and flopped down on the couch next to her sister.

Naomi followed and sat down next to Effy.

Katie defended herself. "I'm just trying to get to know your new friend, Emily. It's a logical question. You can find out a lot about people from what they're interested in, what they study, what they want to be when they grow up."

Emily rolled her eyes and took another long sip of beer.

Katie continued. "Naomi knows what we all do for a living. Why can't I ask what she does?"

"Actually, I don't think Emily's told me what you do, Katie, but I have a feeling it's something in the...glamour profession? Am I right?"

Katie's eyes flashed with recognition and pride. "How did you know?" Her smile was that of someone who had just been paid a compliment.

"Well," Naomi gestured towards Katie, "just look at you. You must work in fashion or something. Are you a designer or a stylist?" Naomi took a sip of her beer to hide her smirk. She had all of a sudden, quite conveniently, remembered talking about Katie on the night that she and Emily met. _I've got this one fucking nailed down._ She refrained from patting herself on the back.

Emily saw the smirk and caught Naomi's eye. She gave the blonde a wink that said _well played; survive this and I reward you with my tongue later. _Or perhaps it was just the well done part; Naomi had other things on her mind.

Feeling relaxed as she listened to Katie blather on and on about her job at the fashion magazine, Naomi took a moment to really look at the two girls, twin girls, sitting in front of her.

_Twins. She's a twin. _Naomi made a mental note to punish Emily later for withholding that tiny detail. _A good tongue-lashing should do it. _Naomi really did have other _things _on her mind.

_They look the same, but not quite. Besides just the hair and the clothes, Emily's eyes are softer, deeper, sexier. Her mouth is just...and her neck...I just want to-_

Naomi was snapped out of her major perving session by a pointed stare from Emily's other half. "What?" She had not heard the question, but she knew that they were all waiting for her to answer it.

"I said what does the E stand for?"

Naomi blinked rapidly as she tried to figure out what Katie was asking her. She looked down at her wrist that was now some how on display. _I must have pushed up my sleeves at some point._ Naomi silently scolded herself for being so careless.

It wasn't that she was purposely hiding the tattoo; it was just that she herself didn't quite know how to explain it yet, so she sure as hell didn't want other people asking about it.

"Oh, sorry. Yes, the E. I just got it, actually. Effy did it on Friday night." Naomi attempted to skirt the real question altogether.

"Friday? But I thought you said you met her at Tony's club?" Katie looked to Emily with confusion on her face.

"I did."

"Tony's club?" Now Naomi was confused.

"Yeah. My brother owns it." They were the first words Effy had spoken since Katie's arrival.

"Oh. Jack of all trades, that one."

Effy gave Naomi a small smile.

Katie wasn't satisfied with the answer. "So, what does it mean then?"

Naomi opened her mouth to respond, but the answer was given in stereo before she had the chance.

"Eastbourne." Both Emily and Effy had replied in unison.

"Eastbourne? You said she was from Bristol." Katie looked back to Emily. Emily looked over at Naomi. Naomi's eyes were wide with surprise. And Effy looked at them all and just waited for the fun to begin.

"I did. She is."

"I moved to Bristol with my mum when I was twelve." Naomi tried to salvage the disastrous lie she couldn't remember creating. "So the E is just to remind me and Cook, my best mate; he got one too. He says hello, by the way." The last part was thrown in Effy's direction.

"Interesting." She got up from the couch and headed to the front door, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of the pocket of her jacket that hung on the rack. "Naomi?" She waved the nicotine filled treats at the blonde.

Naomi jumped up and could not be more thankful that she hadn't quit smoking yet. "I'll be right back." She joined Effy and they disappeared out the front door.

"You didn't tell me she's a smoker." Katie's face showed her disapproval.

"And what's your problem with smokers again?" Emily started the sentence with an eye-roll.

"Uh, cancer."

* * *

The blonde and the brunette sat on the front steps smoking away in silence. A few cars passed by, there were some kids on foot, but other than that it was quiet.

Naomi took a drag and as she brought her hand down, she let her eyes fall onto her tattoo. It was what she did now. Between classes, after meals, out the window of her dorm room, she smoked, stared at her E, and thought about Emily. She flexed her wrist slowly, turning it this way and that, watching as the ink moved in perfect sync with her skin.

"Your first tattoo."

It wasn't a question really, more of a statement, but it shook Naomi from her trance. "Yeah. What's yours?"

Effy turned away from Naomi, sweeping her hair back with her hand and lifting it up to reveal the word _bored_ tattooed on the nape of her neck.

Naomi let a smirk rise up from the corner of her mouth. Effy let her long hair fall back over her shoulders.

"Could you tell it was my first time? Did I tell you it was my first time before you did it?" There was a pleading in Naomi's voice that made Effy turn and look at her.

"You didn't say."

Naomi's eyes filled up with tears. "I just want to remember."

"You will." Effy flicked her cigarette butt into the street and stood up. She turned to go back inside, but stopped as she gripped onto the door handle. "Tell Cook hello." And before Naomi could respond, she was gone.

* * *

**E., I know I promised you something and I said that it was going to happen in this chapter, but these ladies just got to talking and talking, like ladies do, and I didn't get to that part yet. So it will be in the next chapter. Okay? *sheepish grin***

**Aren't you all so intrigued as to what I'm referring to? I'll give you a hint: It involves a tattoo. Put your guesses in my box. (Yes, I meant that to sound dirty.)**

* * *

**Yay!**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 3**

**13. Over and Over Again- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah****  
**Emily and Naomi talking outside the tattoo parlor. So, I was trying to think about what type of music Emily would like and based off of Miike Snow, I decided it was kind of electronic indie pop. So, I was going through all my stuff that's like that and I couldn't find anything that really worked for this scene. But then I thought, Emily is super cool and wouldn't put herself in a box like that. And that is the round about way I ended up with this song. Clap Your Hands' first album is wonderful and this is a nice little background song for them chatting. Side note: my favorite line of this song is, "you look like David Bowie." **(Blondie: As I was listening to this and thinking about how much I hate the lead singer's voice and how his voice ruins songs that would otherwise be super awesome, I heard the bit about David Bowie and laughed. It works perfectly for this scene: Emily is super cool (the music) and Naomi is a hot mess (the lead singer's voice).)**

**14. U+M=- Dan Black****  
**Emily and Naomi in Emily's apartment. This is back to the cool electro indie pop (I love making up fake genres). Dan Black is great and this song is just so darn cute and still not overpowering. **(Blondie: I want Dan Black to be my pretend boyfriend – I think he's gay, so it's cool.)**

**15. That Great Love Sound- the Raveonettes****  
**Emily in her room. I don't know if this tiny little scene even needs a song but this is what's in Emily's head at this moment. Oh how I love love love this song. My favorite Raveonettes song. Everything about it is perfect and apt here. Seriously I bet that talking to Naomi makes Emily want to scream and shout. Not to take away from the delightful new term "sex tornado" but maybe, just maybe the seeds were planted by "love tornado" which is said in this song. **(Blondie: But I've only just heard this song for the first time on Saturday so…sex tornado is all mine. And speaking of, yes, Ems is completely frustrated at this point. Naomi doesn't remember her! Argh! Sadness.)**

**16. Cult Logic- Miike Snow****  
**Emily and Naomi doing some more talking in Emily's apartment. Naomi picked more Miike Snow to listen to. Just a lovely song that I think these ladies would be listening to. **(Blondie: Miike Snow at the Fox Theatre on June 4****th**** – I can't go. *sad face*)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hello! I have a laundry list of excuses as to why this chapter has taken so long to arrive, but I'm not going to bore you with them all. Instead, I am going to apologize for the delay, I'm going to thank all the lovely ladies that have been checking up on me to make sure I'm still alive, and I am going to just...give you all free drink tickets for the bar and tickets for Shimmering Dream's next concert.**

* * *

Chapter 14

Effy had mercifully left her pack of cigarettes on the steps in front of the tattoo shop and Naomi couldn't find a reason not to have another one before heading back inside to answer more of Katie's endless questions. _Christ, this does feel like a job interview._ Not that she had ever been on one; she just imagined it would feel like this. A stranger, holding all the cards, looking at her, judging her, asking her things that would determine if she was right for the job or not. The job being Emily's..._friend...date...gentlemen caller?_ Naomi knew the answer, she knew the title, she just couldn't think about it right now.

Talking about that night, _their_ night, had once again stirred up the feelings of trepidation that the blonde had been pushing aside ever since that first time the redhead's name had bubbled up from inside of her, slipped past her lips, and out into the front room of the shop. The perfect sounds those letters had made together, bouncing off of every wall and back into her ears. _Emily._ _Her name is Emily. _ Naomi had only thought she had forgotten it, but it was there.

Naomi shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. She took a long drag and exhaled the smoke slowly. She picked up Effy's pack of cigarettes again and turned it over in her hand. There were pictures drawn on every side of the cardboard box in black ink. Some people might call them doodles, but Naomi saw the artistry, the undeniable talent that the box displayed and which, upon the last fag being smoked, would eventually be tossed into a rubbish bin.

The images were dark and lonely, an angel with broken wings looking up to the heavens, a tiny sparrow on the branch of a dead tree, no pretty butterflies or flowers for this girl. Naomi turned the pack on its side and there she saw, "Effy's Keep Out," inscribed there and that's what did it. That E. That capital E on the pack of cigarettes was the same one tattooed on her best friend's wrist. Cook had Effy's E.

She knew that somewhere, possibly, somewhere she had kept far, far away from her conscious thoughts, she held the suspicion of what Cook's E might stand for. She had immediately dismissed the theory, of course, and instead focused on anything and everything else. But now, as she sat there, her eyes memorizing every curve and slope of Effy's script, she couldn't push it away any longer.

_But, so what? Cook fucked some tattoo artist chick in her chair and got a tattoo to remind him of the conquest. Big deal. He's like that. He lives impulsively and does whatever the fuck he wants to. He's Cook. He doesn't even remember getting the tattoo so I'm sure he hasn't even given it a second thought. _

Naomi flicked the ash off her fag and paused before letting it reach her lips._ He remembered her name though and he remembered- _

Naomi didn't want to think about it any more. _Enough! It didn't matter. It doesn't matter_. In their drunken state, they had managed to come up with a lie and she was going to stick with it to the end. Eastbourne. The E is for Eastborne, plain and simple. 

_She would think you're insane, you know? She would think that you're crazy and never want to speak to you again, you fool. You fucking fool. _

"You've been out here a while."

Naomi spun around in surprise. She had been so wrapped up in it, she hadn't heard the bell on the door jingle as Emily came out to find her.

"Hey." Naomi looked away and took another long drag to finish off her cigarette. She stubbed it out on the step and flicked the butt into the street.

Emily sat down on the step next to her. "I don't blame you." Emily took the pack of cigarettes out of Naomi's hand and flipped open the top. "I'd rather be out here too." She pulled a fag out from the foil and placed it between her lips. "Fewer questions."

Naomi was ready with her lighter and lit Emily's cigarette. She couldn't look her in the eye, she wouldn't have chanced it for a second, not right now. "I thought you quit."

"I said I was trying to quit." Emily exhaled and her eyes closed at the feeling of the nicotine rolling around her lungs, entering her blood stream. "I'm sorry about Katie."

"What? No, it's fine. Why would you apologize? She's nice. I'm sure she stops by the shop all the time to hang out. Today being no different than any other day, right?" Naomi finally looked over at Emily, looked into her eyes for the answer.

"Katie hates this place. She never comes here." There was delight in Emily's brown eyes as she watched Naomi process this information.

"Oh. That seems odd."

"You don't know Katie then." Emily shook her head. "She hates this neighborhood, she hates the people, the tats, the piercings. She thinks they're trashy. She can't understand why someone, _me_, would permanently mark up my body like this. She thinks it's uncivilized and that people won't take me seriously and that I'm going to regret it one day and then it will be too late." Emily smiled up at the blonde who was hanging on every word.

"When she saw the sleeve, she didn't speak to me for six months." Emily laughed.

Naomi didn't see the humor in the story. "And what about your parents?"

Emily laughed again. "Long sleeves, Naomi. Long sleeves. They know that I work here, they just don't know that I'm also a customer."

"You've got to be joking!"

"Nope! It's true. I mean, it's pretty easy. I only see them once in a while for family dinners and holidays. It's not like my mum is going to stop by to visit me."

Naomi heard the hurt in Emily's voice that she had tried to hide in that last part. "What a fascinating double-life you lead."

"Well, we all have our secrets." Emily took one last puff and held it up to Naomi. "Here. Take it." Naomi did so. "I shouldn't have any more. Katie is going to smell it all over me."

"Oh, so she hates smokers too then?"

"More than the tattoos even, so..." Emily pointed at Naomi as she brought the fag to her lips. "You've already got two strikes against you, Hun."

Naomi blew the smoke out of the side of her mouth as she looked at Emily with wide eyes. "I didn't know she was keeping count."

Emily gave Naomi a sly smile. "Katie is here for one reason and one reason only."

"Do tell."

"She wants to make sure that the girl I'm crazy about is good enough for me."

Emily smiled brightly at Naomi who was too busy replaying those fast few words in her head to do anything. Before she could react, Emily's hand was on the back of her neck, pulling her in. She captured Naomi's lips with her own in a slow, soft kiss. It took Naomi a second to realize what was happening, but only a second. She let Emily's lips cover hers as she melted into the heat radiating between them.

Emily must have felt it too; her lips slid down and held Naomi's bottom lip between them, her tongue traveled across it gently. Naomi dropped her cigarette and reached for Emily's face. She held her cheek in the palm of her hand as the kiss deepened and Naomi felt her stomach drop into her lap.

The drunken kiss from Saturday night was nothing compared to this one. Naomi's hand found the back of Emily's neck and her fingers tangled in her soft red hair. She pulled Emily closer, opening her mouth to allow Emily's tongue to meet her own. Her head was spinning. Her skin was tingling. She felt like she might pass out. Her other hand found the top of Emily's thigh and in an effort to stop herself from losing it completely, she gripped it tightly.

Emily flinched and pulled away. "Sorry. That was too..." She covered Naomi's hand with her own and her eyes fell down and away.

"No." Naomi wasn't sure what to say. Her forceful clamp down on Emily's thigh was not meant to be taken as a signal to stop. "No. It wasn't, I didn't mean..."

Emily's eyes found Naomi's again and she leaned in and kissed her softly to stop the flustered ramble before it started. "We should go back inside, yeah?" She smiled at the blonde as she noticed traces of her red lipstick on Naomi's lips. She used her thumb to wipe it away.

Emily stood up and held out her hand to Naomi who accepted it. Emily's hand felt so right in her own. She didn't let go of it, even after she was properly helped to her feet. She didn't let go of it after they climbed the two steps up to the door. She didn't let go of it as they walked back into the shop and she knew then that she never wanted to.

* * *

**This is only half of what I had planned for this chapter, but I decided **_**something**_** was better than nothing, right? You have all been so wonderfully patient and it is LA Pride this weekend soo...I'll be in no position to write anything for the next few days and then I'll need a few days to recover from those days.**

**So better than reading more of my ridiculously slow-paced story, take a look and a listen to the latest volumes of Shimmering Dreams by Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches. Enjoy!**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 4**

**17. Simple Graces- Delorean**  
Emily and Naomi walking to the restaurant. Just a lovely little song in the background of their walk. One of the things I love about series three is how the first song kind of dictates the theme of the episode and they always started strong. So, I've been trying to do that a bit. I can't say enough good things about Delorean. This is off of their first album, and if you like this song at all you need to listen to the whole album.

**18. Jump Into the Fire- LCD Soundsystem**  
Emily and Naomi talk to Chrystal. This might be a bit too something for this scene. But, I love this song for Naomi because she is literally jumping into something she isn't sure if she is ready for. In addition to that, this song is super awesome. Like, super duper awesome. I love when LCD Soundsystem acts like a rock band. I think this is a b-side off of the "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" single. And yes, I know I'm a huge douche for knowing that.

**19. This Heart Is a Stone- Acid House Kings**  
Emily and Naomi are wrapping up dinner. Acid House Kings are one of those bands I never would have heard of if I hadn't done college radio and having said that I think I was the only person in the station who listened to this album. I don't know what it is about sort of quiet Swedish pop songs, but I love them. I hope this works for right here, I think it does.

**20. In Your Eyes- Kylie Minogue**  
Emily and Naomi in Tesco. As anyone who has ever met me knows, I love Kylie. And I love that Karen loves Kylie. Karen is playing this song in Tesco. Just, ugh, she's great and this song is great. **(Blondie: Karen would absolutely be playing Kylie as she worked the counter at Tesco! Perfect choice and, again, the lyrics tell us so much.)****  
**  
**21. Walkabout- Atlas Sound**  
Emily and Naomi walking to the club. This song is just too cute and wonderful. And I declared it my official song of summer of '09. It's nice background music for their walk.

**22. Drumming Song (Boy 8-Bit remix)- Florence and the Machine**  
Emily and Naomi in the club. This song is so great, and the remix is even better. This is what is playing when they walk into the club and Naomi is so out of place and Emily is at home. The lyrics are perfect and it's so easy to picture them walking through the crowd with this in the background. This is also still playing when they almost kiss. Remixes are long. **(Blondie: Love this remix so hard! Such a great choice for Naomi's introduction into Emily's sex, drugs, and dance music world. Flo always makes me happy, but when she gets remixed like this...that does all sorts of things to me.)**

**23. The Party (Featuring Uffie)- Justice**  
Arsia arrives. So, this is Arsia's theme song. I think it's perfect for her. It's about getting shitty in the club but thinking you're awesome. That's the Arsia I know and love. **(Blondie: When 6seater suggested that this song make an appearance in SD and HMHDHB announced that it was going to be Arsia's theme song, I almost wept with happiness. I'm not joking. I was so overcome with joy that I had to take a moment to recover and I think I teared up a bit. If there was ever a perfect song for my Arsia, this is it! Listen to this song NOW and love it forever.)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 5**

**24. Crimewave- Health v. Crystal Castles****  
**Emily and Naomi wait for the band to start. This sounds like the kind of music that is played before a show starts. Fun fact, both bands have a song called "Crimewave," another fun fact, the Health song is terrible. **(Blondie: Love this song!)****  
**  
**25. House of Jealous Lovers- The Rapture**  
Shimmering Dream's first song. It's got a good intro, so Tony can make his grand entrance, and it's totally a song Tony would sing. I went back and forth on what song to pick for this. I had the imagine of Emily dancing in the club circa episode 307 in my head, so I wanted something she could dance like that to. So, that led me to more of a rock electro kind of thing. Anyway, you don't need to know the whole process, just the song. **(Blondie: I so love this song for this scene! Perfect for SD!)****  
**  
**26. (Will be added later)**

**27. White Diamonds- Friendly Fires**  
Shimmering Dream's third song/Emily and Naomi talking at the bar. The show is still going on, but this is background music for the girls.

**28. Blessa- Toro y Moi**  
Emily and Effy in the bathroom. To be totally honest, I'm not sure how happy I am with this pick. I wanted something so different from what the band was playing. I was going to pick some of that lo-fi shit I love so much but then I decided I wanted something really calm for Effy and Emily to contrast the mess that all the Naomi songs are. So, this is definitely a contrast, but I'm not sure if it works. This was actually a super tough song to pick.

**29. In the Hospital- Friendly Fires**  
Emily and Naomi back at the bar before going off to dance. More Friendly Fires. Friendly Fires are pretty much Shimmering Dream. I just love this song for them, especially Naomi, "a glitch in my mind," too good. And yes, that was me congratulating myself.

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 6**

**30. Hold On- Friendly Fires****  
**Shimmering Dreams last song. So, I didn't realize how many Friendly Fires songs were perfect for these two. This might be a bit too fast paced for the dirty dancing these kids are getting into, but I'm sure Emily can make it work. But seriously, this song for them (it totally found me, not the other way around), its kind of perfect right?

**31. Y Control- Yeah Yeah Yeahs**  
Shimmering Dream ends their show. This is the first song that comes on after the show is over. Just another good rock club background song. **(Blondie: YYYs are always good, all the time, every time.)****  
**  
**32. Construction- Arms**  
Naomi and Effy in the alley. Naomi finally gets a relatively slow song. I am not one for subtlety, hence the first line of the song. Even though, this is her quiet song, she never really has quiet moments.

**33. XR2- M.I.A.**  
Emily inside the club waiting for Naomi. So, Emily thinks she has scared off Naomi and as a result is a bit of a mess inside. There is this bass sound in the background of this song that sounds like a heartbeat or something to me, and it then sounds like Emily's heart racing. This isn't a time where the lyrics match up, but its also music playing in a club and I imagine hipster clubs in England play M.I.A.; she's their star, right?

**34. Southside (Featuring Kid Sister)- Flosstradamus**  
Effy and Arsia appear. This is from the Arsia soundtrack. I have little working playlists for all the characters, because I take this way too seriously and that's how I roll. I don't know why but in my mind Arsia is a little bit of a thug. I think it's the huge purse.

**35. She's Got Me Dancing- Tommy Sparks**  
Naomi meets Panda and JJ. Quite the contrast after "Southside." I don't know what the DJ in the club is thinking. I wanted a cute little pop song for JJ and Panda. This was going to be a Shimmering Dream song (if you recall my shockingly sober rambling in code at my party) but I ultimately decided it was too cheesy for them, but its a cute little way to end the chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Here's the rest of what I had originally planned for Chapter 14 with a little extra fun at the end just because you are all so great. I can't seem to say it enough, so Thank You again for all the terrific reviews and messages. I really do write this story for all the people out there who enjoy it and love Naomily as much as I do! **

**A special Hello! to all my favorite authors who write my favorite stories, Stunty, Hypes, Blue-Eyed-Blonde, FaithSky, post-war, Lioness Rawr, mcsaz91, Ladyhawk, Circ!, and all the others that keep me entertained and keep the fic pumping through my veins! Love you all!**

* * *

Chapter 15

The bell chimed. Naomi took a deep breath. She squeezed the small hand that was held in hers. The door closed behind them. Her nerves had surfaced fast, as they walked back into the lion's den hand-in-hand. Naomi's rapidly beating heart, which had moments ago been pumping solely for the purpose of keeping her alive so that she could kiss and touch that perfect girl out on those front steps, was now drumming her death-march. Each pounding beat brought her one step closer to the now unveiled intentions of Katie Fitch. Those eerily familiar brown eyes locked onto her nervous blue ones as she faced the beast.

Katie was there to size her up; there was no denying it now. She was there to see if she was good enough for Emily. _Am I good enough for Emily? _What would happen if Katie decided she wasn't? And why was this happening so fast? She and Emily weren't even dating, not really, not yet. Why was she going through the family approval process now? Naomi wasn't sure, but she knew Effy had something to do with Katie being there.

Naomi was scared and she knew that the fear showed in her eyes. Her whole life, she could never get away with anything; her mother always knew and called her on shit before she even had a chance to lie. Figured. Every time Naomi looked into Gina's eyes, she saw her own staring right back at her. Her eyes always gave her away no matter what her words or actions conveyed in the opposition.

Naomi gulped and inhaled a shaky breath. She saw Katie's upper lip twitched as her eyes fell upon her sister's hand being held by the tattooed smoker who had not yet completed the requisite interview and who had not yet received the Fitch stamp of approval. She wanted to drop Emily's hand immediately, but Emily tightened her grip in silent reassurance. Naomi glanced over at the small redhead who was already looking back at her and she gave her a timid smile that said _If you think I can do this, then I can do it...I think._

They took their seats on the couch in front of the window; Katie was sitting next to Effy who was scribbling away in a sketch book on her lap. Katie had been looking over at Effy's drawings, but her eyes had left the opened page and were now focused on her prey.

"Did you have a good smoke, Naomi?" Katie was smiling at her while sneering as the same time.

"I'm going to quit. I've got a plan." Naomi blurted out.

Effy's pen stopped. Her steely blue eyes flicked up and studied Naomi's face. She closed her book and folded her hands on top of it, waiting patiently for the show to continue.

"Well that's good. It's repulsive. I finally got Emily to quit four months ago. Isn't that right, Emsy?"

Emily just gave her an unenthused nod and crossed her legs. She placed Naomi's and her joined hands on her thigh, covering them with her other one. Naomi glanced over. She was thrilled to be holding Emily's hand; it felt right and Emily's fingertips were lightly stroking her skin and it was what she wanted, truly, but at this exact moment in time, it was too much. Too much with Katie watching them. Too much with Effy studying them.

Naomi pulled away, almost shaking Emily's hands off and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She knew if was completely unnecessary; her other hand was free, but she had to and she hoped that Emily would understand. She didn't dare look over at her though. That would have only showed her the hurt look on Emily's face as the redhead retracted her hands and placed them meekly in her lap.

"So Naomi. You moved from Eastbourne to Bristol. Did your parents have money problems or something?"

"Fuck Katie!" Emily couldn't believe her sister's tactlessness...oh wait, yes she could.

"What?" Katie played the innocent act. She was a born-Londoner; she had the right to be a snob.

"No, it's fine." Naomi reached over and covered Emily's hand where it rested on her lap and gave it a squeeze. She looked into her deep brown eyes and smiled before turning her attention back to _Emily's sister. Remember it's Emily's sister. Don't lose your temper._

"My mum is Gina Campbell, CEO and majority shareholder of WorldCorps International as well as one of the UN's goodwill ambassadors for the environment. She's also a best-selling author and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. So to answer your question, Katie, not that it makes much difference to me, but our finances are very sound, thank you." Naomi didn't typically brag about her mother's achievements, but in this case, she was more than happy to if it meant wiping that smug look off of Katie Fitch's face.

Katie held the blonde's unwavering eye contact but did not venture a reply. Instead she seemed as if she was actually processing what Naomi had said and perhaps she was going to play nice from now on.

"Wow." Katie was impressed. "So, your mum is Gina Campbell?"

Naomi was surprised that someone like Katie would even recognize the name.

"That's pretty sweet for you, Ems. It's not every day you get to hold hands with _Naomi Campbell_." Katie laughed at her own joke. Naomi sank back into the couch and folded her arms across her chest. Emily glared at her sister who promptly changed the subject and rattled on.

Naomi hated that joke. That fucking joke had followed her around her whole life. Every new school year, every time attendance was called, even when receiving the award for top marks at college, it had been tainted by the snickering of her classmates at the graduation assembly. It was the one thing that made Naomi feel completely helpless. _Fuck Katie Fitch._

"Oh, speaking of mothers, Mum called earlier. We're doing Fitch Family Dinner on Sunday night so make sure you cover those up, yeah?" Katie shook her head in disapproval as if Emily's tattoos were a personal burden she had to bear.

"Have I ever forgotten to fucking cover them, _Katie_?" Emily's voice was full of animosity as she got up from the couch and marched over to the counter to get another beer.

"No need for the attitude, _Emily_. I'm keeping your best interests in mind after all. You know mum and dad would flip if they saw them. After all the money they've spent...it's going to ruin your credibility, you know."

Emily slammed her unopened beer on the countertop. "Save it, Katie!"

"I'm just looking out for you, Bitch!"

"I don't need you to!"

Naomi looked from one twin to the other. She was confused about the argument. She knew Katie thought tattoos were trashy, but she didn't see how it was going to affect Emily's life. _She works at a tattoo parlour for fuck's sake._ Naomi couldn't help herself. She had to defend her.

"I think they're beautiful."

Both sets of brown eyes and one set of blue pinned Naomi to the back of the couch. "I do. They're beautiful, Emily."

"Well of course _you _would think so." Katie pounced. "I mean, look at yours. You obviously don't care what people are going to think. Law and politics, right? Yeah, well, way to go with the E for Eastbourne tat. You'll be covering that up every day of your life. Trust me."

Naomi looked down at her wrist; she looked down at the permanent letter E tattooed there. Katie's criticism seeped into the ink without warning and Naomi looked at it differently in that moment. She had only been living with it for two days; it hadn't even healed properly yet. Maybe Katie was right. Maybe she would regret it. Maybe she was just fooling herself into thinking she liked it because she really had no other choice. Her heart sank at the thought.

Naomi wanted to hide her tattoo just then. She wished that she had kept it covered and that Katie would have ever seen it, would have never been able to use it as fodder for her attack. It was her E and she didn't want to have to explain it to anyone. She didn't want anyone talking about it or speculating on its meaning. And she sure as hell wasn't going to let some bitch make her regret the bravest thing she had ever done.

Naomi swallowed back a lump in her throat that was keeping her from speaking, keeping her from defending herself. Her mind was racing to find the right thing to say.

"Is that why you had yours done on your bum cheek? So you could always keep it covered?" Effy looked over at Katie as she asked the question, a look of mock-innocence on her face.

Katie's eyes were bulging out of her skull as she realized what Effy had just revealed. Emily's face reflected a similar shocked expression and Naomi surveyed the scene as a silent cheer played on repeat in her head. _Effy! Effy! Effy!_ Whether or not she was behind the impromptu visit from Katie didn't matter any more.

"What the fuck, Effy? You promised!"

Effy shrugged and reopened her sketch book.

Emily came around from behind the counter and stood with her arms folded in front of her sister. "Alright. Let's see it."

"No!"

"Come on you hypocritical twat. Show me your secret shame."

"I will not!"

Emily took a threatening step towards her now cowering sister. "All this time..."

"I was 16, Emily! Danny and I had just gotten together and I was in love, okay?"

"Danny? You got a tattoo for fucking_ Danny Guillermo_? That fuck cheated on you with every skirt that he could get his hands on! Why would you do that?"

"See? Point proven. I got a stupid tattoo that I now regret just like you'll regret all of yours one day!"

"No, Katie. I won't regret mine one day. All of my tattoos are for _me._ I got them for _me_. They mean something to _me, n_ot some greasy footballer with frosted tips."

Katie didn't have a response, for once.

"So what is it, then? What did the 16 year old Katie Fitch get tattoo on her bum? His initials in a heart?" Emily chuckled at her own joke.

The look of shock returned to Katie's face. "How the fuck did you know?"

Emily busted out into a full laugh then. "Oh my God! I was joking!"

A smile crept onto Naomi's face even though she knew she was risking retaliation from the elder Fitch and she giggled in spite of her better judgment.

Effy couldn't help it either; even her lips were turned up into a genuine smile.

Katie got up from the couch in a huff. "Fuck you all. I'm leaving!" Katie grabbed her purse from the coffee table and headed for the door.

"Oh come on, Katie. Isn't this better than yelling at each other?" Emily tried to reason with her in between spurts of laughter. "And look at it this way...you could always tell people it stands for your true love." Katie turned to look at her. "Dolce & Gabbana."

Katie held up her middle finger to her younger sister. "Fuck off and die." She pulled the front door open with force. The bell jingled loudly. "See you Sunday." And Katie was gone.

Emily smiled down at Naomi who had a look of relief on her face, but she immediately folded her arms and turned her attention on the silent Effy who had returned to sketching in her book. "Effy?"

Effy glanced up at Emily.

"Would you please explain to me how you knew about the tattoo on my sister's arse?"

Effy grinned her devilish grin. "You two looked almost identical in college. Anyone could have made that mistake."

* * *

"So, did I pass?" Naomi and Emily sat side-by-side on the couch sharing a spliff. Effy had gone home or maybe gone out, it didn't matter. The front door had been locked, the overhead lights had been turned off, and the closed sign had been flipped in the window. They were finally alone. The only light in the room was coming from the small lamp in the corner and the upbeat music that had been playing before had been replaced with something mellower.

"You passed." Emily gave Naomi a warm smile as her fingertips softly stroked the material covering Naomi's tensed leg.

Naomi had to admit that she was nervous. Emily was sitting so close to her. They weren't out on the street or in a room full of people. They were alone, unsupervised, completely free to do whatever they wanted. Naomi had no idea what Emily's intentions were, but in this setting, she could guess. "That's good. I'd hate to think that I'd failed you."

"She's a bitch. Why would you care what she thinks?"

"Because she's your sister and _you_ care what she thinks."

Emily took the spliff from Naomi's fingers and took a long drag. "Well, she's still a bitch."

There was a pause in the conversation; Naomi hoped that Emily couldn't hear how loudly her heart was beating in her chest. Emily's fingers continued their assault as she leaned in closer.

"Naomi?"

"Yes?"

"It's getting late."

Naomi looked at her gold watch that she wore loosely around her left wrist. It was late and she was running on two hours of sleep.

"Are you tired?" Emily's voice sounded deeper than it had before.

"Not really." Naomi's pulse was racing and the last thing on her mind was sleep.

Emily took one last pull off the spliff and put it out in the ashtray on the coffee table. She turned her attention back to the gorgeous blonde and licked her lips. "Thank you for tonight." Emily placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Naomi's eyes closed as she savored the feeling.

Emily pulled away, watching the blonde's reaction.

Naomi's eyes remained closed for a few seconds longer. She opened them as a smile spread across her face. "You're welcome, Emily." She loved saying her name out loud and apparently Emily loved hearing it.

Emily's lips were on hers instantly. Her hands finding both sides of Naomi's neck as she pulled her into the kiss. What they had started out on the front steps reignited with renewed passion and Naomi pushed her tongue into Emily's mouth aggressively as her hands gripped onto her hips.

Emily turned her body even further towards Naomi's, she needed more contact. She was up on her knees in a flash; she swung her right leg over Naomi's, straddling her. Naomi's eyes flew open as she felt Emily's firm ass make contact with the tops of her thighs. Her entire body tensed and her grip on Emily hips tightened.

Emily pulled back from the kiss, her eyes locking onto Naomi's. Her fingers were playing with her soft blonde hair as she studied Naomi's face. Her expression was unmistakable; she was turned on, she was excited, she was panicked.

Emily cupped her face with her hands and gently pulled her in for a slow, soft, lingering kiss. "We should go to bed."

Naomi's eyes widened even though she was trying to remain calm.

"We should each go to our own beds, I mean." Emily smiled and kissed her again. She felt Naomi's body relax. "You have classes tomorrow, don't you?" Naomi nodded. She kissed her again. "And I've got to be up at a reasonable hour." She leaned down and kissed Naomi's neck just below her ear. "And you didn't get much sleep last night." Naomi shook her head as her hands slid up the back of Emily's shirt. All the soft, warm skin she found there made her head swim. Emily's head fell back as Naomi's hands explored, feeling her strong back muscles.

Her touch sent tingles all over Emily's body. "Fuck." Emily's dark eyes found Naomi's again. "Maybe you should stay. It's too late for you to be walking back by yourself." Naomi nodded again and Emily attacked her mouth. "We'll just sleep." Her tongue slid across Naomi's bottom lip. "We'll just sleep, okay?" Naomi nodded as Emily climbed off of her and pulled her to her feet.

Naomi wrapped her arms around Emily's small frame. "We'll just sleep." She grinned down at the sexy redhead. "If you can manage to keep your hands to yourself for five minutes."

Emily feigned shock. "Me? You're the one with the wandering hands." Emily broke free from Naomi's embrace and headed for the door. She flipped the lock latch and opened it. "After you." She gestured for Naomi to exit and as she did, Emily gave her ass a playfull squeeze.

"Hey!"

"You started it."

* * *

**Just a bit of make-out fun for you all. I hope you enjoyed it. What did you think of our Katiekins and her ass tattoo? Frankly, I was shocked! I'm going to do my best not to let another *checking my watch* 10 days go by without an update…truly…I'll try. And for those of you who've been missing our little Cookie Monster…he just might make an appearance in the next one!**

* * *

**My lady got all hi-tech on this Ink Soundtrack business. She's awesome!**

**ht tp: /mix tape . me /p /16 2 31 (Remember to take out all the spaces!)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 7**

**36. Thunder Meadow- Pomegranates  
**Emily and Naomi walk down the street. The thing about this pick that was tough was, getting the pace of the song right. I didn't want anything too slow, or too fast. I also didn't want anything too cutesy either. I hope this works. **(Blondie: This is perfect "walkin' down the street" music. Why do you even question these things by now?)**

**37. Bigger Bolder- Love Is All  
**The official Naomi Campbell band. Naomi reacts to Cook's text. So, motherfucking OMG, I love this song. I have been dancing around to this song at work lately. I love this for Naomi here because like a lot of the Naomi music, it's really frantic and messy, but what makes this extra special is, it's still a really sweet love song. Naomi practically starts running down the street yet she doesn't let go of Emily's hand. Side note, this song is so great for playing very loudly and dancing like a fool to. **(Blondie: Naomi is pretty freaked out by that text, like, holy shit, I made out with Emily last night?…what else did we do? kind of thing. Not that she's upset about the kissing, she's just like, oh great…another thing to add to the list of things I don't remember but really want to remember! This song is a perfect fit for this moment.)**

**38. Giving Up the Gun- Vampire Weekend  
**Emily tries to calm down Naomi. This is one that just sort of speaks for itself. If you read the scene and listen to the song it feels right. **(Blondie: Naomi is wound pretty tight. One minute she's fine, the next she's pissed off and scared, she's all over the place. She needs someone to calm her down and remind her that everything will be alright.)**

**39. Starry Eyes- The Records  
**Emily and Naomi in their heads. I really like music that sounds like 1960s pop music, so I might as well put up an actual 60s pop song. This is one I've been wanting to use for a while and it's more for Naomi than Emily. Sorry, Ems. **(Blondie: Music from the 60s is my favorite! Feel free to use more of it…Emily's got that whole pin-up girl thing going on after all.)**

**40. You and Me and the Moon- This is Ivy League  
**Emily and Naomi kiss. Well, here comes the truth, I love sickeningly sweet pop song. Deal with it (said in Naomi Campbell voice). I think this is a cute little song for these ladies and since they're outside, the moon is in on it too. **(Blondie: Aw…such a softy you are HMHDHB…it's okay, I won't tell anyone.)**

**There are more songs on the mixtape than I've posted here…so for whoever actually checks it out…you all get a preview of what's to come. Enjoy!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Oops! I must have been really tired or really drunk when I updated this last night. Thank you to Suzylou and 6seatertable for pointing out that my note was missing. All is well in Inkland. I know that I keep saying that I'll try to update faster, but I have a very distracting girlfriend, and I just can't seem to tear myself away from her long enough to get some writing done. We actually had an argument over the weekend, which consisted of her being mad at me for not updating Ink and me being angry, because I want to spend all of my free-time hanging out with her. So...obviously, we both ended up laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all and, lo and behold, here's the new chapter. Enjoy it! **

* * *

Chapter 16

The worst part of it all was that she didn't know why she had done it. Naomi slumped over and let her forehead rest on the cold glass window. The landscape outside was nothing but a blur of shapes and colorless colors and she couldn't remember a time, there hadn't ever been one, when a train ride back to Bristol was the only thing that made any sense.

Nothing made any sense any more; every thought, every moment was filled with red, covered in red, drowning in red. The entire week Naomi couldn't see anything else, all the other colors of the spectrum had been faded out, muted, not even worth noticing any more. And that's why she was on this train. That's why she had packed a bag and bought a ticket to go home the second her last class was finished. She had practically sprinted out of that lecture hall and back to her room, not caring that her lungs were screaming at her to stop.

She couldn't spend one more second in London. She needed to go back home and see her mum. She needed to see Cook and get fucked up at Keith's pub and forget about the redhead she had left confused and halfway undressed on top of her bed on Monday night.

"Fuck." Naomi said it in a whisper and squeezed her eyes shut. She silently scolded herself for the hundredth time that day for letting Emily enter her thoughts again. She had no distractions on the train. In her rush to leave, Naomi had forgotten her iPod and the book she was reading and all of her assignments and text books. So that left her with nothing but her thoughts to keep her occupied, thoughts of the last time she saw Emily, the last time she had kissed Emily and that hurt look in Emily's eyes as she pushed her away.

* * *

"We're going out tonight."

Emily looked up from the book she was reading. Effy was leaning against the front desk, her cool blue eyes trained on Emily's tired brown ones. "I can't." Emily looked back down at the open page of the book in her lap. As she tried to find her place, she realized that even though her eyes had been scanning the words, she had no recollection of what she had been reading for the last twenty minutes. Her mind was occupied by thoughts of Naomi, even though she was desperate to just push them out and forget about her altogether.

"We're going out." Effy flipped through the appointment book on the counter. "Our last appointment's at nine." Effy didn't need Emily to confirm or agree. They were going out, they were going to get smashed, and Emily was going to have fun.

Emily closed her book and tossed it onto the coffee table. She got up from the couch and without saying a word to Effy or even looking at her, she grabbed her jacket off the coat rack and went outside.

It was a beautiful day. The sun was almost shining and the streets were busy with people coming and going. Emily sat down on the stoop and pulled a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of her jacket, Naomi's pack of cigarettes.

There was only one fag left in the pack; Emily had been slowly working her way through them in secret. She had been so good not smoking or not smoking very much for the last four months, but on Tuesday when all her calls went straight to voicemail and all of her texts were left unanswered, she had reached into the pocket of her jacket and found them.

"I fucked it up." Emily muttered under her breath and pulled the last cigarette from the pack. It wasn't the nicotine this time, it wasn't that nagging urge to light up. She just wanted the taste; she wanted the flavor of the smoke in her mouth.

Emily took a long drag and instantly her lips were on Naomi's again and her tongue was sliding against Naomi's again and her hands were in her soft blonde hair and she was breathing in Naomi's breath. Emily let her eyes close as a wave of heat rushed over her body. This had to stop.

* * *

"Naomikins!" Cook spotted her as she made her way up to the bar. He had glanced up from his phone when he heard the door open. She hadn't told anyone that she was coming home to Bristol for the weekend and she had decided to go straight from the train station to Keith's pub. She was in no mood to answer a million questions from her mum; she'd leave that for tomorrow. Tonight, she was planning on getting so monumentally fucked up that she wouldn't be able to remember her name.

Cook hopped over the bar and pulled Naomi into a bear hug. She dropped her bag and he spun her around. A handful of drunks, the regulars, looked up from their beers at the sudden outburst of activity. It wasn't a brawl, just a hug, back to drinking.

"Put me down, Cook."

"One second, Love. This is the only time I get to feel ya pressed up against me." Cook gave her another squeeze and Naomi pretended that she was annoyed. He finally put her back on her feet.

"I need a drink."

* * *

Two empty shot glasses were slammed down on the countertop and quickly refilled. Effy was holding the bottle of whiskey and Emily was happily accepting another shot. They clinked glasses and threw them back. Emily slammed her empty glass down again. "Another!"

Effy eyed her as she screwed the cap back on the bottle. "Go get ready. Tony has a table waiting for us."

Emily narrowed her eyes at the brunette. "I am ready."

"No you're not."

Emily looked down at her clothes, dark jeans and a t-shirt. "What?"

Effy put her hands on her hips. "Pretend I'm Katie."

Emily thought about it for a second, thought about what her sister would think of her outfit and rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"There will be another one of these waiting for you." Effy picked up the shot glasses and bottle of Jack and moved to the couch.

Emily walked over to her bedroom door. "Actually," Emily paused and turned back around to Effy, "I'm in the mood for something else tonight...something...special."

Effy's eyebrow shot up in question. "Yeah?"

"Why not?" Emily closed her bedroom door behind her.

Effy got out her cell phone and dialed. "Hey babes. You're on the list for tonight."

* * *

Naomi and Cook. Cook and Naomi. Best friends, best mates, having a laugh just like old times. This is exactly what Naomi needed to clear her mind and just forget about everything else. They were on their third, no fourth pint, which meant that in about two seconds, Cook was going to suggest-

"Shots!" Cook slammed his now empty pint glass down on the bar. It took Naomi a few more gulps to finish off hers and she slammed her glass down to mimic him. "So what's your poison, Blondie? Are we feeling like whiskey tonight or-"

"No! No whiskey."

"Alright. Tequila it is!" Cook grabbed a bottle from the back of the bar and poured out two shots. He picked them up and held one out for Naomi, but before she could grab it, he pulled it back. "Are ya gonna tell me what happened?" Cook looked directly into Naomi's eyes, something he rarely ever did unless he was serious.

Naomi couldn't hold his gaze. "What? Nothing happened. Can't I just have some drinks with my best friend because I want to?"

Cook grinned his adorable and devious grin. He offered the shot to Naomi and she took it. "Of course you can, Naomikins." They clinked glasses and threw back the shots.

"I've missed you, Cook."

* * *

"Wow." Effy had been replying to a text message when the bedroom door opened and she had looked up to see Emily standing in front of her. She was not expecting her to look _that_ good. Emily's jeans had been replaced with skin-tight black leggings and she had traded in her beat up Converse for red stilettos. The t-shirt was gone as well and a black top took its place and hung off Emily's left shoulder, exposing her collarbone and just enough skin to make it seem risqué.

Emily's vibrant red hair was pulled back into a ponytail with her bangs pinned up into a gravity-defying pompadour. She sauntered over to the coffee table and picked up the shot that was waiting for her. She threw it back and then picked up the other one, presumably Effy's, and tossed that back too.

Effy watched her from her place on the couch. On any other night, Emily would be excited, ready to dance, ready for fun. But tonight, there was no joy in her eyes. "It's been three days."

Emily's eyes snapped up. "What?"

Effy knew she was treading on shaky ground. "There are plenty of explanations as to why you haven't heard from her. Maybe she lost her phone."

"What are you talking about?" Emily disappeared back into her room.

"Naomi."

Emily reappeared with a small black clutch and began circling the room to find her things. "What about her?" She hated not having pockets.

"You've been sulking all week. Are you going to tell me what happened?" Effy wasn't usually this direct, but Emily had never been this closed off before.

"Nothing happened." Emily grabbed her phone off the coffee table, crossed over to get her keys from the table by the door, lipstick was in the bathroom.

"Have you called her?"

"Yes! Yes, I've called her." Emily finally stopped her frantic scavenger hunt and faced Effy. "I've called her over and over again. She won't return my calls. She won't reply to my texts."

"Why not?"

Emily was not in the mood to talk about any of this, especially with Effy. "I don't fucking know and I don't fucking care either. Can we just go now?"

Effy got up from the couch, walked to the door and opened it. She held it open for Emily. "After you."

* * *

Naomi and Cook stood outside the pub, each smoking a cigarette and passing a bottle of tequila back and forth. Cook was halfway through a retelling of his infamous brothel story complete with hand motions and pelvic thrusts when he was interrupted by a beeping noise coming from his pocket. He handed Naomi the bottle and pulled out his phone.

Naomi took another swig out of the bottle and cringed at the taste. She looked over at Cook as he read the message and quickly typed out a reply. There was a delighted grin on his face that Naomi recognized.

"Alright. Who is she?" Naomi took a drag off her cigarette.

Cook shoved his phone back into his pocket and reached for the bottle. "Who is what?"

"Come on. That's the fifth text you've gotten since I arrived and every time you get one, you have that shit eating grin on your face. So, who is she?"

Cook shook his head. "It's nothing, Blondie. Just getting sorted for the weekend. So many fit birds, so little time. Hey, I could make some calls, get somethin' set up for you while you're here." Cook got his phone out again and started running through his numbers. "What are ya in the mood for? Brunette, blonde, redhead?"

"Shut up, Cook." Naomi grabbed the bottle from him and tipped it back taking two large gulps.

"Whoa there." Cook grabbed the tequila out of her hand. "Pace yourself, girl. We've got a long night ahead. And..." Cook reached into his pocket and produced a pack of cigarettes. "I've got some of the best shit in town." He tipped the pack and pulled a neatly rolled spliff out from between the fags.

"I've been seeing Emily." Naomi blurted it out before she could stop herself.

"Nice one." Cook sparked up the spliff and inhaled deeply. "So she's filled you in on our mystery night then?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Naomi took the spliff from Cook.

"And?"

"We danced, we drank, we told them we were from Eastbourne, God knows why, we got the tats and went home."

"That's it?" Cook seemed to be unimpressed with Naomi's description.

"Oh right, and you fucked Effy."

"And you snogged Emily."

"Right."

"So that's all she told you then?"

"That's all that happened." Naomi took another drag off the spliff and handed it back to Cook.

Cook wanted to say something else, but didn't. "Cool. So you've been shaggin' her then? How is she?"

"I said I've been seeing her, not shagging her, and...I'm probably not seeing her anymore. I don't know."

"What? She's mint! At least get one in before you dump her."

Naomi thought about it for a second. "She is hot. Really hot. Too hot." Naomi grabbed the tequila bottle back from Cook and took another swig. There was a pause between them.

Naomi broke the silence. "I've been wondering..."

"Yeah?"

Naomi took a breath. "What do lesbians do? I mean, in bed?"

Cook had a look of confusion on his face. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"Why would I know?"

"You mean, you've never?"

"No I've never!"

Cook looked at Naomi like she had two heads.

Naomi took another swig. "What?"

Cook's head flew back and his body shook in silent laughter.

Naomi stared at him in disbelief. "This isn't funny! I need your help, you arsehole!" Cook continued laughing. "Fuck you." Naomi turned and went back inside.

* * *

The lights and music on the dance floor were muted. Emily could only hear her heart beating in her chest and the rapid inhale and exhale of her breath. She had taken a pill from one of the girls she had been dancing with earlier. She didn't know what it was, but she was too drunk to care much.

A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and they felt safe so Emily let herself lean back and enjoy the feeling.

"We need to go, Emily." It was Effy. She had let Emily run around the club, dancing and flirting with girls and boys, letting them think that they had a chance before she'd push them away and move on to the next. She had seen her get drunker and drunker, followed by higher and higher and it was time to go home.

Emily turned and wrapped her arms around Effy's neck. She could barely keep her head up and her eyes open, but she wasn't ready to go. She wanted to keep dancing. Effy played along for a bit. She felt partially responsible for Emily being as fucked up as she was. Arsia had come through, like she always did, and they had done a good amount of coke in the toilets earlier on.

"Come on, Ems. It's late." Emily nodded and let Effy lead her off the dance floor. Tony was sitting at one of the tables in the back surrounded by his admirers. He caught sight of his sister with a very wasted Emily hanging off her and got up.

"What's this?" Tony didn't like seeing anyone in his club get this sloppy, especially one of his friends.

"I'm taking her home." Effy looked to the group sitting at the table. "Is there a black purse anywhere there?" They all checked around them and came up with nothing.

Tony signaled for one of his bartenders to call a cab. "If we find her purse, I'll drop it by tomorrow."

"Thanks."

Tony helped Effy get Emily out to the front curb just as a taxi was pulling up. They got her into the back seat and Tony hugged his sister good night and kissed the top of her head. "Get home safe." He bent down and looked at Emily who was now passed out. "She's not usually like this."

Effy got in the back of the cab and they drove off.

* * *

"I'm sorry I laughed."

Naomi was sitting at the bar, nursing a pint, and giving Cook the silent treatment.

"It caught me by surprise, that's all. I figured you've been shagging girls non-stop since college."

Naomi took another sip of beer.

"Naomikins...come on. Forgive me. I'll teach you everything you've ever wanted to know about fanny." Cook said that last part way too loudly and Naomi jumped at him to stop.

"Okay! Fine. Keep your voice down." Naomi looked around the pub to see if anyone had overheard. If anyone had, they were too drunk to react.

Cook grinned and poured himself a pint from behind the bar. He was still working after all. He set it down in front of Naomi and rested on his elbows.

"Alright. Now, when you're bangin' a chick, you've got to remember that-"

"Cook." The tone in Naomi's voice was a warning.

"Right. I've got pornos we could watch."

Again, that was the wrong direction to take and Cook got a Naomi scowl in return.

"I don't know, Blondie. I've always just figured it was all brogues and strap-ons, you know?" Cook chugged about half of his pint in one go.

"Really? I mean, wouldn't you just do what you do to yourself, only to each other and probably slightly more aggressively and...with, you know-"

"Oils!" Cook was enjoying the mental images he was creating way too much.

"Oils?"

"Yeah, lots of it. Oils."

"Tosser."

"You love me."

* * *

Cook walked Naomi home and insisted on carrying her bag. She figured that his endless texting throughout the evening hadn't lead to a shag after all. They were both pretty drunk, but not smashed and the walk to Naomi's house had helped.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Naomi turned to face her best friend when they arrived in front of the yellow house they had spent so much time in those last few years of college.

"Yeah. I'm workin'. Stop by. Uncle Keith'll be there 'til seven. He'd love to see ya."

"Okay, I will." Naomi went in for a hug, which surprised Cook. They had never been the hugging kind, not real hugs anyway. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a squeeze.

"Thanks." Naomi let go and took her bag from Cook. She stood on the porch and watched Cook disappear around the corner. She sat down and got her cigarettes and noticed a light blinking on her phone. One message from Emily.

It was the first and only message she had received from her that day and she feared that it might also be the last. She took a breath and opened it.

I miss you.

That was all it read. Without waiting for her brain to tell her no, Naomi pressed the call button and waited for Emily to pick up. _Voicemail_.

"Hi Emily. It's me. I'm sorry about the other night, for being such a twat. I just...I don't know. It was a lot and I'm sorry. I should have called you back sooner. You didn't do anything wrong. It's my fault and I'll explain...if you'll let me. I just hope I haven't ruined things completely."

Naomi ended the call and searched for her keys. She hoped her mum hadn't changed the locks again. She carefully unlocked the door and was glad to be home.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Yeah, I know. Weird.**

* * *

Chapter 17

It wasn't so much the searing pain behind her eyes that made Emily wish for unconsciousness or that the room was spinning in time with the churning of her stomach. Those things Emily could handle. Those inconveniences of the morning after were not insurmountable. But waking up in Effy Stonem's bed, naked, that was more than Emily could currently contend with.

"You got sick in the taxi."

Emily turned her head too quickly, the pain and nausea intensifying tenfold. Effy was sitting in the chair by the window holding a cup of tea and watching Emily sleep, or perhaps just waiting for her to wake up. "I made tea."

Emily covered her face with her hands. "Fuck."

"No...but you wanted to." Effy extended the cup of tea to Emily. "Drink this."

Emily removed her hands from her face, but kept her eyes closed. Slowly and carefully, she propped herself up into a near sitting position. She held out her hand towards Effy, but Effy didn't move the cup into her reach.

After a moment, Emily opened her eyes and glared at Effy for not helping her out. She leaned forward and grabbed the tea. "Thanks a lot." She took a sip.

"Now tell me." Effy trained her penetrating blue eyes on the hung-over mess in her bed.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Emily, I haven't seen you _that_ fucked up since college. Partly because you've built up the tolerance of an elephant and partly because you haven't needed to be."

Emily took a deep breath. "I fucked it up." She looked to Effy for a reaction. She didn't get one. "I scared her off."

* * *

"They're a right pack of fuckers, they are. She was the best candidate, the only one worth a second glance, and those Nobel fuckers passed her up!" Kerian was on his second cup of tea. Naomi was nursing a cup of lukewarm coffee and trying not to yell at her well-meaning former teacher and mom's boyfriend for making her headache worse by the second.

"Oh Kerian! When are you going to let it go, Love? There were ninety other nominees." Gina had heard this speech more times than she could count, but she loved Kerian a little bit more each time she heard it.

"You are the best, is all I'm saying." Kerian grabbed the newspaper and shook it a few times. Naomi knew this to be his unique way of saying he was done griping for the time being.

Gina set a plate of eggs in front of her hung-over and somber looking daughter and got down to brass tacks. "So she dumped you then?"

Naomi looked up from her coffee, "What?"

"The reason you've come home dear...that Emily you mentioned." Gina's eyes were kind as she tried to comfort Naomi.

"What the fuck are you on about, Mum?"

"So you dumped her then?" Gina seemed quite surprised by that scenario.

"No. No one got dumped and Emily and I aren't...we're not even dating really...so, leave it."

Gina looked over to Kerian who had come out from behind his paper. They exchanged knowing looks. A silence fell over the breakfast table.

"I like your tattoo..."

Naomi closed her eyes and waited for it.

"So what's it mean, then?"

Naomi dropped her fork on the plate and got up with a magnificent eye-roll and stormed out of the kitchen.

"And you thought she just missed us." Gina took a sip of her tea. Kerian ducked back behind the morning news.

* * *

Emily felt much better after her shower. It may have had something to do with the spiff she shared with Effy before taking the shower, but regardless, she didn't feel like death anymore, so that's all that mattered.

She reentered Effy's bedroom wrapped in a towel, her red hair dripping. The brunette watched her from her place by the window as she opened Effy's wardrobe in search of something to wear.

"Do you want to do something today?"

Emily looked over her shoulder. "You mean besides working at the shop?"

"I'm the boss. I just gave us the day off." Effy gave Emily a wicked grin.

Emily bit her lip and thought about it for a second. "Alright. Should we see if Panda and JJ want to come too?"

"I'll ask." Effy pressed a few buttons on her cell phone.

Emily was reminded that she hadn't checked her messages since sometime in between kind of drunk and off her face smashed when she had also decided it was a great idea to text Naomi even though she hadn't heard from her in days.

She began hunting around the room in search of her purse, partly because she needed to find it and partly because she couldn't remember exactly what she had sent to Naomi and had to make sure it wasn't too embarrassing. _Just let me know that you're still there._

"Panda's in. JJ said he can't use up valuable time flitting around the city when there's studying to be done and the end of the school year is approaching at a rapid pace." Effy was reading JJ's text off her phone. "That's a quote."

"This is why I don't carry a fucking purse!" Emily continued searching the premises.

"You left it at the club. We couldn't find it."

Emily stopped and looked at Effy with disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Sorry, Ems. Tony said he'd bring it by if anyone finds it."

Emily sat down on the bed in defeat. "But what if she calls me back?" She looked to Effy for the answer.

* * *

"Uncle Keith thinks you should get it on with a chick before you head back to London. Thinks it'll calm the nerves. He's got this _friend_, now, she's not that great to look at, but she's totally down for a little fanny to fanny action."

Naomi had only lasted half a cup of coffee with her mum before she remembered that Gina knew everything and refused to let people wallow in their self-pity, which is exactly what Naomi wanted to do.

She had called Cook to meet her at their spot, a little park in the middle of a bunch of houses, the one with the mural of windmills. He had decided to take an extended break, and he knew his uncle wouldn't mind. Naomi was just as much his niece as Cook was his nephew, regardless if the latter half was true or not.

"Cook. Shut up." Naomi took another long drag off her cigarette.

"I'm just trying to help ya, Babe."

"I know. I know. But it really doesn't matter at this point, does it?" Naomi inhaled a deep breath. "I fucked it up. I called her last night, I apologized, and I haven't heard from her."

"Maybe she lost her phone."

* * *

"So what exactly happened?" Effy looked over to Emily who was sitting across from her at their favorite cafe, which was just around the corner from Effy's flat.

Emily shook her head and closed her eyes.

"Come on, Emily. It cannot be that bad."

"I scared her off."

"Did you ask her to move in with you or something?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Very funny." Effy continued to stare at her. "We were kissing." Effy's eyebrow shot up. "And then we were in my bedroom." Effy leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "And then we were kissing on the bed."

Effy rested her chin in her hands. "And?" Effy was on the edge of her seat. Emily had gone silent. "And?"

* * *

_The bell on the door jingled as Emily pulled it shut and locked it for the night. She looked over to see Naomi standing by the door that led up to her flat and smiled. As she crossed over to the blonde, she noticed the look of concern on Naomi's face._

_"You alright, Nai? There was no reaction. "Hello? Hellooo?" Emily waved her hand in front of Naomi's face. "Deaf or what?"_

_Naomi flinched back, snapped out of her trance. "Yeah, fine." She smiled at Emily, but the worry was still showing behind her eyes._

_"If you don't want to stay, I can call a taxi..."_

_"No, I do."_

_"You're sure?" Emily turned to the door to unlock it. "Because if you're worried about not having your favorite pyjamas or something, I'll let you borrow mine."_

_"I don't wear pyjamas." Naomi replied honestly._

_"Good." Emily gave her a wink and held open the door. _

_Naomi quickly went inside, hoping that Emily didn't see the blush that had just poured across her cheeks. _

_Emily headed up the stairs in front of Naomi, who surprised herself when she realized that she was totally perving on the way Emily's ass moved with each step and was even more surprised when she kept right on doing it._

_Emily made an abrupt stop and spun around, which brought her face to face with the blonde one step below. "You were looking at my arse." Emily's accusation was adorably playful._

_"Yeah, I was." Naomi smirked and folded her arms across her chest. "What are you gonna do about it?"_

_The corner of Emily's mouth twitched as she stared into her sparkling blue eyes and then down at her glistening lips. She leaned forward slightly, made sure Naomi knew what was coming, and just as their lips were about to touch- "Nothing." _

_Emily took off up the last few steps, leaving Naomi standing there wanting her. The shock of not getting kissed quickly turned into fuel and Naomi was hot on Emily's tail, chasing her through the front door and slamming her up against it as it closed behind them._

_Naomi's mouth was on Emily's instantly, her hands on her hips, pulling and pushing at the same time. Emily's hands wrapped around the sides of her face and into the back of her hair, urging Naomi to kiss her deeper. _

_Their breathing became ragged and labored as they deprived themselves of air, just breaking their heated kiss long enough to gasp and change the position of their lips. _

_Before Naomi knew what was happening, Emily was pushing her, guiding her through the living room and into her bedroom. Naomi was reminded once again that they were alone, unsupervised, completely free to do whatever they wanted._

_Naomi felt the edge of the bed hit the back of her knees. Her eyes flew open and she pulled away from Emily's lips as she tried to regain her balance. She held onto Emily to keep herself from falling back._

_"Sorry." Emily said the word, but she wasn't sorry at all. Before Naomi could react, the small redhead used both hands to push Naomi back on the bed with force. _

_Naomi was surprised; it all happened so fast and then Emily was on top of her, straddling her again. Her hands were on her neck, on her chest, and Emily was kissing her so deeply, with so much passion and lust that Naomi didn't want it to stop._

_And then Emily's shirt was pulled over her head and thrown to the floor and Naomi was sure that she had even helped with that process. And then Emily ran her hands down Naomi's torso, right across her breasts and down to her stomach and Naomi felt a surge of excitement as she looked up into Emily's dark eyes. _

_And then Emily grabbed the waistband of Naomi's jeans and before she even had time to think about how much she wanted it, Naomi knew that she couldn't do it and grabbed Emily's hands to stop her._

_"Wait."_

_Emily froze and looked down at Naomi._

_"I can't."_

_Naomi sat up quickly and Emily shifted to the side to let her up._

_"Naomi?"_

_But it was too late, the blonde was up and on her feet, through Emily's bedroom door, through the living room, out the front door and down the stairs before Emily even had to chance to ask what was wrong._

* * *

"So...you wanted to bone her...and she wanted to bone you...but you ran out...because you didn't know how to willy-wag with a girl?" Cook was trying to make sure he understood the story correctly.

"Yeah."

"Naomikins, that's when you just lay back and enjoy it, yeah?" Cook threaded his fingers behind his head and laid back on the grass. He illustrated his point with a few pelvic thrusts. "Aw, the best fucking shags I've had were with virgins." Cook closed his eyes and his creepy Cook smile spread across his face. "You missed out, Naomikins! You need to call that girl and fix this."

* * *

"She's a virgin."

Emily scoffed at Effy's suggestion and then took it into consideration. "It was unusual. I've never had a girl run out like that before."

"We'll find your phone and you'll call her."

"If she wanted to talk to me, she would have by now."

Effy rolled her eyes. Her phone beeped. She picked it up from the table and read the message.

* * *

Cook pressed some buttons on his phone. "Remember, this ain't my idea, yeah? I'm just followin' orders." He handed the phone to Naomi who looked confused as she held it up to her ear. It was ringing.

* * *

"It's for you." Effy handed Emily her phone.

Emily looked at the caller ID, _James?_, as she brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

* * *

_Emily._ There was only one voice that sounded that fucking good. Cook was going to pay for this. _Why does he have Emily's number? What am I going to say? _A thousand thoughts were racing through Naomi's mind.

"Hello?" Emily asked again.

She had to think fast. "Hi. It's Naomi."

* * *

**Oh man! I am such a bastard for ending the chapter right there. I deserve to be punished. Maybe RnB sensation, Emily Fitch, could handcuff me to her headboard and teach me a lesson. **

**Speaking of, if any of you have not read The Stalking of Emily Fitch, you really should, because it is awesome and completely outrageous AND recently The Stalking of Emily Fitch, Part Two: A Tribute was posted, which takes off from where the original author stopped writing it. Now, there is a warning attached to this recommendation: This story is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. Read it with a sense of humor, because seriously, that shit is funny!**

**Okay, now let's get down to the real business: Who wants to go to The Fitch Family Dinner? It is Sunday tomorrow in Inkland.**

* * *

**Who's itchin' for more of Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches' Ink Soundtrack?**

**Here's the link for all you kids who want to follow along at home and you should:**

http: / www. youtube. com/ user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)

**My lovely girlfriend put together this playlist. Isn't she the best? It is now the homepage on my profile as well. Remember to thank her on your way out. There might be a few songs missing, because some of these songs are so cool even the internet can't find them!**

* * *

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 8**

**41. Friends- Band of Skulls**  
Naomi and Emily enter the party. I was kind of unsure on what I wanted to do with this first song. My goal for the music at the party is making Naomi uncomfortable. I'm not sure if that sentence makes sense but I think you get what I mean. So, at first I thought about something that would all but scare her out of the room but I ultimately decided this suited the scene a bit better. This song continues while Naomi is thinking about herself and Cook. **(Blondie: This is totally one of those "entering the party" songs. I can picture all wide-eyes, looking around at all the cool people doing drugs and making out. Perfect.)**

**42. Pap Smear- Crystal Castles**  
The party. This is the first song that the group is actually listening to in the shop. Naomi comments/thinks that she was never one to hang out with this kind of group and I want that to reflect in the music. They also listen to and know of stuff she has never heard and probably doesn't get the appeal of. As a result, this group listens to a lot of Crystal Castles. Luckily the new album is great. **(Blondie: It's really cool how you pick up on little off-handed remarks about the characters and reflect them in the music picks. You really are very good at this.)**

**43. Years of Silence- Crystal Castles**  
The party continues, but Emily and Naomi talk a little bit. Another song that would probably scare Naomi. And there is something about the song that seems to suit them right here.

**44. World Town- M.I.A.**  
Emily and Effy sitting together. This is the first song that plays when someone turns up the music. And oh how I love it. I love M.I.A., there I said it. One of my all time favorite concert moments was when I saw her in 2005, but now is not the time for such talk. Some of the lyrics are surprisingly apt, such as, "every wall you build, I knock it down to the floor." But for these two I love "see me, see me bubbling quietly." Oh, and its an epic dance jam. (**Blondie: You KNOW that when this song started playing it was Arsia who yelled, "This is my jam!" and then went and turned it up.)**

**45. Romantic Rights (Erol Alkan's Love From Below Re-Edit)- Death From Above 1979**  
Alex joins Naomi and Emily arrives. I changed this song about five times, and this is what I ended up with. First off, I really like DFA, I'm sad they only did one album because they really are great. Secondly, that first minute or so of "come on girls, I know you know what you want" is so so so perfect. For the story but also on a nerdy music level, with the bongos or whatever in the back. Ugh, I love it. And come on Naomi, we know you know what you want. This song also follows them into the back room. **(Blondie: Aw, yes...the face-off music. Alex didn't stand a chance.)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 9**

**46. Loop Duplicate My Heart- Suburban Kids with Biblical Names**  
Naomi and Emily in the back room. This is the rare time where it's not all about the lyrics. I just like this song for this bit. **(Blondie: I feel like I can be honest with you at this point in our relationship, HMHDHB. And therefore, I will tell you that I HATE this dude's voice. Seriously, can't listen to the song at all. But, like CYHSY, the music part is very lovely.)**

**47. Lets Call It Off- Peter Bjorn and John**  
Emily thinking about how Naomi forgot her. Emily might, and I mean might, be feeling like this a touch. But, I doubt it. **(Blondie: There was that moment, way back when, where Emily made the decision to ignore the fact that Naomi couldn't remember her and just go with it. But perhaps, for a split second, she may have felt this way...maybe.)**

**48. Ecstacy- jj**  
Emily and Naomi rejoin the party. I have been waiting to use this song for this scene. This is perfect super fucked up music. And it goes back to the music making Naomi feel out of place. **(Blondie: This is the exact song that Effy would be twirling around the room to! Brilliant!)**

**49. It Don't Move Me (Miike Snow remix)- Peter Bjorn and John**  
Naomi and Emily dancing and almost kiss. It's a cool song and this one goes out to Effy Stonem. **(Blondie: You know I love me some Miike Snow...I mean, Emily does.)**

**50. Plastic Jungle- Miike Snow**  
Naomi and Emily leave. I was going to wait to use this one, but fuck it. It's good for this bit because the song is super sexy, like "don't forget your sweater" sexy. **(Blondie: I love that you love that bit so much! Let's be real: Naomi's sweater was the star of this chapter and the next.)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 10**

**51. Alone- Dan Black**  
Emily and Naomi outside the shop. So, I changed this selection about five times, and it finally clicked while I was being super obnoxious at my local pub (and yes I mean pub, not bar) and was listening to my iPod thinking about your story. I had a very specific sound for the music in my mind, and this fits the bill. Lyrically it's a good match as well. **(Blondie: Dan Black is my pretend boyfriend and THIS is my favorite of his songs! So a Naomily kiss set to this music is like my dream come true! Thank you.)**

**52. Too Drunk to Fuck- Nouvelle Vague**  
Naomi v. the stairs. I think the song says it all. **(Blondie: Hahahahahahahaha!)**

**53. Little Garcon- Born Ruffians**  
Emily helps Naomi to bed. This is for the second they get into the apartment and things change a bit. Naomi is much less handsy and much more tired drunk. At this point this is the ultimate Skins song (at least to me). It was used in Katie and Emily's episode in series three, I used it in Coin Laundry, and here I am again. It's such a wonderful song off of a wonderful album. I just love it. **(Blondie: Adorable...so sweet and so Emily, well maybe not so much Ink's Emily, or perhaps this is the first time we get to see Ink Emily's softer side. She's kind of a sappy mess when it some to Naoms.)**

**54. Marry Me- Suburban Kids With Biblical Names**  
Emily in the living room thinking about things. Perhaps it's a bit too early to be talking about marriage, but this is probably more from the point of view of the reader than either of the ladies. I feel like I say, "this is a good song to _ to, so for this I will say, this is a good song to lie down and think about the girl that you like that is passed out drunk in your bed to. But seriously, I love the line, "any old chance I get, I'm gonna buy you stuff."

**55. Accident & Emergency- Patrick Wolf**  
Naomi wakes up. I think the song is worth listening to. **(Blondie: Haha! Yep! The alarms are going off in Naomi's head...but then she realizes that she remembers the night before this time and her pants are still on. Phew!)**

**56. Where Do You Run To- Vivian Girls**  
Naomi tries to leave Emily's apartment. This is another time where the tempo of the song was as important as the lyrics. The Vivian Girls are great and should be listened to. **(Blondie: Busted! Why is Naomi's first impulse to always run? *shakes head and points bread*)**

**57. Teenage Kicks- Nouvelle Vague**  
Emily and Naomi part ways. Well, this is just too lovely. **(Blondie: Lovely indeed. Just like you.)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: I don't always say it, but Thank You to everyone out there reading this story, especially the Ink OGs by the likes of Circ, Hypes, Stunty, FaithSky, HMHDHB, lazyhazy8228, Blue-Eyed-Blonde90, vaskon, debs182, KairiM, Naomiloveless, JL10, reddawg82 and many more! I'm quite surprised that any of you are still following this ridiculously slow-paced and action-less story. Three and a half months! That's longer than most of my previous relationships. And to all the new readers, welcome, take a seat, get comfortable. We're gonna be here for a while.**

**Speaking of relationships...(Private Note to My Girlfriend: 4 years and 23 days later and I love you more today than ever. This chapter is for you.)**

* * *

Chapter 18

"Naomi?" Emily looked to Effy for an explanation. Effy just shrugged and took a sip of her coffee.

"Hi Emily." There was a pause. Naomi's eyebrows shot up to the top of her head as she gestured wildly for Cook to help her out with what to say. He just smiled and lit up a cigarette.

Emily looked a bit lost for words. "Um...I'm sorry. I didn't know who was on the other end. Effy just handed me her phone out of nowhere and then there you were."

Naomi got to her feet and turned away from Cook, taking a few steps to put some distance between them. She didn't want her best friend to hear her make a complete dick splash out of herself. "Yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat. Cook and I were just talking and all of a sudden there was a phone in my hand and your incredibly sexy voice on the other end." Naomi squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fist as she realized what she had just said to Emily.

A crooked smile appeared on Emily's face as she dropped her head; she looked down into her lap, almost ducking under the table. She didn't want Effy to see her cheeks turn rosy. "So, you're in Bristol then?"

"I am."

"Right, well..." Emily had spent the last four and a half days desperately wanting Naomi to call her and now that she had, kind of, she had no fucking clue what to say.

There was another awkward pause in the non-existent conversation. Naomi attempted to speak first. "I have to apologize-" Emily spoke just a beat after Naomi had and trampled all over her words with, "I'm so sorry, Naomi-" They both stopped mid-sentence.

"Go ahead."

"No, you."

"Seriously, Emily. Go first." Naomi bit her bottom lip and smiled. _She's not pissed off at me. Thank you, Jesus. She's not angry; she's not hanging up!_

"Well, I..." Emily started her apology speech, which she had been going over and over in her head since it all happened, but she looked up and was reminded that just across the table from her were the observant blue eyes of Effy.

Emily got up from the cafe table and walked a few paces, through the outdoor patio, onto the sidewalk, way from prying ears. I wasn't that she didn't normally speak to girls in front of Effy; Emily fully-disclosed all the dirty details of her conquests on a regular basis and Effy had found it to be more entertaining than the afternoon soaps.

It was just that, Emily wanted to keep Naomi to herself for right now. Unlike her typical kiss and tell everything style, Emily had keep her feelings for the beautiful blonde close to the vest. She didn't want Effy making assumptions about them or trying to speculate on their relationship, especially since Effy was the only other person who knew every single detail of the night Emily and Naomi met.

Emily thought back to that night; she couldn't remember a time when she had so much fun or had felt so much just holding some one's hand. A wide smile spread across her face. "I lost my phone or left it at the club or something...just in case you were trying to call me." Emily heard herself say the last bit and winced. She hoped that the next words she heard weren't _I didn't try to call you_.

"I did call you, actually." Naomi offered the information readily. Emily smiled in relief. "I called you last night and I am sorry that it took me so long to do so."

"It's okay. I understand."

"You do? It was just that-"

"You don't have to explain, I mean, you can, if you'd like, but maybe in person, or something."

"Yeah, okay." Naomi's eyes sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. She hadn't messed everything up and Emily still wanted to see her. "Could I take you out then, on a proper date, I mean?" Naomi hadn't planned this out very well or at all, really, so she hoped her invitation was sufficient. This was the first time she had ever asked anyone out. She bit her bottom lip. _Please say yes._

"Yes, I'd love to."

Naomi's face lit up. "You would! Great. That's great."

Emily heard a beeping sound. She held Effy's phone away from her ear. Tony was displayed on the caller ID. "Naomi, Tony's on the other line for Effy. Can I call you back?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Alright, then. Talk to you soon."

"Yes, very soon. I hope you find your phone."

"Yeah, me too, thanks."

"Yeah. Alright, then. Bye, Emily."

"Bye." Emily had a giant goofy grin on her face as she switched over to Tony's call. "Hey Tony. It's Emily."

"Emily. Just the girl I was looking for. You're in luck. Your friend found your bag."

"My friend?" Emily crossed the patio back towards Effy.

"Yeah, that girl who always wants to get in for free and dresses like my sister."

"Oh...Arsia." Emily rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that's the one. So anyway, I'll drop it by the shop later."

"Actually, we'll come to you. The boss and I are bunking off today." Emily sat down and gave Effy a smile.

"See you later then."

"Bye." Emily ended the call and handed the phone back to Effy. "That was Tony. He's got my bag."

"Good. I was beginning to think that I'd never see my phone again."

"You're the one who handed it to me. Thanks a lot, by the way. And since when are you talking to Cook? The called ID read James, which totally confused me. I thought you had called my little brother."

"No, he's still listed as Pervy Little Bastard."

"No!" Emily grabbed Effy's phone off the table to check. "You've kept it like that for this long?" Emily found the listing in Effy contacts and smiled. She immediately thought back to all the countless afternoons she had spent with Effy in her room, when Katie wasn't around, of course.

They would walk back to Emily's house after school, sharing a spliff on the way. They would lie on the floor between the twin beds and listen to music. Sometimes, they would snog and if they thought they had enough time before Emily's parents came home, they would have a quick fuck on Emily's bed.

James dedicated a good portion of his afternoons to trying to get Effy to notice him, although he spent most of them kneeling outside the door listening and peeking through the keyhole. Emily caught him doing it on more than one occasion and would kick him in the wiggler repeatedly..._pervy little bastard._

"He was so in love with you." Emily looked up to find blue eyes that seemed a bit softer than she had seen them in a long time.

"Yeah." Effy looked out into the street, away from Emily. "Shall we go then? Your phone awaits."

* * *

"It's sorted then?" Cook squinted into the afternoon sun as he watched Naomi return.

"Yeah. I asked her on a date." Naomi sat down on the grass and gave Cook his phone. "She's going to call me later...after she gets her phone back."

"Nice one. See? Communication, the foundation of any successful relationship." Cook grinned. "You can repay me with a sexual favour of your choice."

"Fuck off, Cook."

* * *

It was dark by the time Naomi returned home. She and Cook had spent the rest of the afternoon discussing date ideas; discussing was probably the wrong word for it. Naomi had gone over her date ideas by saying them out loud and Cook had rated each idea by describing how and where she could get into Emily's pants at each location. Naomi had rolled her eyes with every suggestion, but a handful of his scenarios were filed away for future reference. Cook was a walking and talking sex encyclopedia after all and Naomi was nothing if not studious.

Gina and Kerian were on the couch in the front room watching a documentary on landfills. When Naomi entered the house, they both looked over at her. She received a slight head nod from Kerian as his eyes returned to the telly and a bright smile from Gina who was always happy to see her daughter, regardless of her twatiness. "We weren't sure if you were coming back, Love"

Naomi rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. A sarcastic reply was teetering on her tongue, but there was just no reason for it. She made her way to the couch and sat down next to her mum. "Sorry for being a twat this morning."

Gina put her arm around Naomi's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "It's okay, Dear. I've grown quite used to it after nineteen years. It started with morning sickness and it has never ended." Gina kissed her now scowling daughter on the head.

Naomi decided that this was one of those times in which she'd just let her mum have the last word. She focused on the telly and started to watch the film. After a minute she realized what they were actually watching. "Is this it?" Naomi looked over at her mum with wide eyes.

"It's just a rough-cut, but yes." As if Gina didn't have enough on her plate, she had ventured into the documentary filmmaking business around the time Naomi was packing her bags for Goldsmiths and had executively produced what was now playing in their living room.

"Can I take a copy with me back to school?"

"Of course you can, dear. Just don't show it around too much. The lawyers would have my head if it got out before the release date." A timer sounded from the kitchen. "Well, that's dinner then." Gina got up from the couch. "You two have five minutes."

Naomi and Kerian looked at Gina and then to each other and without a word, they both got up from the couch and went out onto the front porch.

"Right then." Kerian took a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and offered one to Naomi. She gladly accepted it. They stood side-by-side at the railing, looked out onto the quiet street, and lit up in unison.

Kerian glanced over at Naomi's wrist. "I never pegged you as a tattoo kind of girl."

Naomi smiled. "No? I thought it was obvious."

"You know, I have a tattoo. Got it when I was around your age."

"Really?" Naomi regarded him with a skeptical eye.

"Oh yes. Perhaps a bit younger, in fact. I was quite the rebel then."

Naomi smiled as she took a drag off her cigarette. "Do you regret it now that you're old and terribly uncool?" Naomi was taking the piss.

Kerian paused and looked at Naomi out of the corner of his eye. He took a drag, stalling for time. "Well, regardless of the extra years and a few extra pounds, I love The Smiths just as much now as I did then." He turned to face Naomi who laughed.

She looked down at the E on her wrist. "Yeah, well...I can't argue there."

* * *

There was only one word to describe Tony's flat: Grand. High ceilings, open floor plan, very little furniture, Tony's place was more like a museum than a home. Great for parties and all, but not too inviting. Emily followed Effy into the massive living area where they found Tony on the couch with some girl that looked kind of cheap.

"Ladies! Welcome." Tony got up from the couch and crossed over to the bar that separated the living room from the kitchen. "Emily, looking surprisingly well considering." He handed her her purse.

"Thanks, Tony." Emily opened her purse and checked its contents. Everything was there, she could have sworn she had more cash, but she figured she spent it on booze. She eagerly checked her phone as Effy and Tony went to the kitchen for drinks.

She had a few missed calls, several text messages, and one voicemail. The first text was from Kaite:

Hey Bitch. I got a date  
tonight. Wish me luck.  
He's well lush and I  
think he's rich from the  
looks of his car. If you  
don't here from me until  
tomorrow then you'll  
know it went well. X

The second text was also from Katie sent a few hours later:

What a loser! Not even  
close to dating material.  
And his car is a rental.  
We are on our way  
back to his place now.  
Hit it and quit it for sure.  
Dinner on Sunday.  
Don't forget. X

Emily shook her head. Katie's ability to keep it real was both terrifying and impressive. The last text was from earlier that day from a number that Emily didn't recognize:

Hi Emily u were 2 hot  
last nite. call me and  
we can finish what we  
started on the dance  
floor! chow ;)  
-Lynda

Emily wasn't sure what she found more upsetting about the text, that someone thought ciao was spelled c-h-o-w or that she had given out her number to someone who uses that word in the first place. Both were reason enough and she quickly deleted the message.

There was only the voicemail left. Emily looked over to where Effy, Tony, and Tony's flavor of the night were sitting. She walked over to one of the giant floor to ceiling windows and looked out over the city. It was all lit up and sparkling against the dark sky. She listened to Naomi's message from the night before, a smile appeared on her face.

She saved the message and quickly typed out a text to Naomi:

I probably owe Arsia a  
lap dance now. She's  
the one who found my  
purse. We are over at  
Tony's. I'll call you as  
soon as I get home. You  
didn't ruin anything. I'm  
really looking forward to  
our date. I haven't been  
on one of those in years.  
xoxo  
-E.

* * *

Naomi grinned down at her phone like a loon. She knew she was risking life and limb to read Emily's text, but it was worth it. Her mum had a strict No Phones at the Dinner Table rule, but as she quickly typed out a reply, Gina looked over and saw her face all lit up with a smile.

Gina had decided to bite her tongue for once. She reached over and squeezed Kerian's hand; he looked up from his plate and saw Gina's happy expression. She tipped her head towards her usually sulking daughter. Kerian looked over and smiled back at Gina. Without the need to discuss it, they both silently agreed that they wanted to meet this mythical creature named Emily.

* * *

**This wasn't what I had mapped out in my head, but it's what came out nonetheless. I don't think I was ready to say goodbye to Cook, Gina, and Kerian just yet. I hope it wasn't too much of a boring filler. To be honest, it made me miss my mom and step-dad quite a bit. I'll be seeing them in September along with the rest of the Blondie Family, so I won't fret about it too much. **

**Next time on Ink: Naomi gets on the wrong train and ends up joining the circus. Emily makes good on her repayment and gives Arsia a lap dance. And Effy decides to start wearing pants. See you then!**

* * *

**Now on to what you all really want...**

**http: / www. youtube. com/ user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 11**

**58. Home- LCD Soundsystem**  
Naomi trying to write. LCD Soundsystem is one of my favorite favorites (even though someone called them a jam band). I can go on and on about them but I won't do that to you. However I will give you a fun fact. My first conversation with my best friend was about them. Anyway, onto the song. Musically it's a good Sunday song, it's not too heavy but not too bland. What makes this so perfect to me for Naomi is the repeated, "you're afraid of what you need." At this point she is still trying to sort of actively fight her feelings for Emily or at least she is trying not to think about her. But maybe, just maybe, Naomi knows she needs her and it scares her. Or something. **(Blondie: I tried to pick out another set of lyrics that were good for Naomi, but then I realized that I'd have to transcribe the entire song. Great choice, HMHDHB!)**

**59. Konichiwa Bitches- Robyn**  
We meet Katie. Another artist I love. You will not find anyone on the planet right now that does pop music as well as Robyn. The top pop stars are Robyn, Kylie, Gaga and La Roux, but Robyn is number one. Now that that has been cleared up, song time. I mentioned earlier that Love Is All is the official Naomi band, and now it is time to reveal, Robyn as the Katie artist. Robyn is this amazing fiercebot and so is our Katie. This song is kind of a nice, "fuck you" anthem. This was the first track off of the amazing album Robyn, the first album Robyn released on her own label. So, this was kind of her breaking out and saying, "I'm going to be me". I imagine Katie said that upon birth. **(Blondie: You know this is my favorite Robyn song! Next Friday...Dan Black, Robyn and Kelis! I'm so fucking excited.)**

**60. Home- LCD Soundsystem**  
Naomi still working. The song for Naomi hasn't changed. This was a conscious decision, not just laziness. Naomi hasn't made any progress. None on her paper and none on convincing herself she doesn't want to think about Emily. And the song is pretty long. **(Blondie: Musically, this song is also damn perfect, because it is repetitive and makes that feeling of getting nowhere even more present for Naomi.)**

**61. Low Shoulders- Toro y Moi**  
Brunch! Just a bit of restaurant background music. This song just kind of feels like a Skins song to me. It's easily cool but not boring. **(Blondie: I do love the repeat of "We'll be alright.")**

**62. Home- LCD Soundsystem**  
Naomi "writing." Still no progress. **(Blondie: And I'm still loving it.)**

**63. Expressway to Your Heart- A-Sides**  
Emily and Katie talk about Naomi. I now give you a semi-obscure cover. I think it makes for a nice little background song that acts a bit as a warning to Emily and Naomi. The song is actually kind of sad because it's all about waiting too long and missing out on love. So come on, get your shit right, ladies. **(Blondie: This song always makes me think of Adventures in Babysitting.)**

**64. Home- LCD Soundsystem**  
Naomi talks to Emily. And she finally finishes the song. **(Blondie: Ah...ending with a crash on one...magnificent.)**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I tend to get distracted by casinos and free drinks...so...you can blame Las Vegas for the delay. It wasn't my fault. I was tempted by gambling and booze and really hot hotel...weather. Yes, weather...I didn't mean sex; I meant weather. Hot, sweaty weather. Celebrating four years and one month was just as fun, if not more than, celebrating the four.**

* * *

Chapter 19

The sun was setting when Naomi arrived outside the door that lead up to Emily's flat. She tried the handle and to her good fortune it was unlocked. She was up the stairs and standing on the landing in front of the redhead's front door in no time, straightening her shirt and blazer and pushing a strand of blonde hair away from her face.

Naomi took a deep breath and raised her fist to the door, her other hand clutching a thin paper bag tucked under her arm. She should have been nervous; she hadn't seen Emily in days and the last time she had it was while she was running out of her bedroom. She exhaled slowly and knocked three times. Okay, she was nervous.

The sound of footsteps crossing over the wooden floor inside filled up the silent stairwell and Naomi readied herself to see Emily. Emily Fitch. The younger twin. The more clever twin. The sexier twin. Her favorite twin.

The door swung open and Naomi smiled brightly as her eyes fell upon...the wrong twin. "Katie?" Naomi's face screwed up into a confused frown.

"Hello to you too. And what do you want? We're about to leave for dinner. Ever heard of phoning before you just show up at some one's door?" Katie stared back and waited for a reply.

"I, uh, just stopped by to, um..." Naomi looked around. She remembered what she was holding. "I wanted to drop this off for Emily." Naomi held out the flat square item to Katie.

The older, less intelligent, slutty twin looked down at it and raised her eyebrow. "She's getting ready." Katie turned and walked back towards the couch.

Naomi stood at the threshold with her arm extended. She hadn't been invited in really, but she figured there was no point in waiting for that bit of pleasantry. She stepped inside and carefully shut the door. Katie returned to her seat and started flipping through a magazine.

Naomi stood awkwardly in between the door and the couch holding the gift she had brought for Emily like a shield. The option of waiting until their date to give it to her was looking more and more appealing by the second, but the moment she had stepped off the train from Bristol, she knew she had to see her.

Katie lost patience after what seemed to Naomi like an eternity. "You can sit down, Naomi." Katie shook her head and flipped another page.

Naomi took a seat in the beat up armchair next to the couch. "Thanks."

There was a long pause.

"So...you're going over to your parents' house then?" Naomi looked over at the temperamental twin cautiously. "For dinner?"

"Yeah, well we could be if SOMEONE WOULD HURRY THE FUCK UP!" She shouted the last part towards Emily's closed bedroom door. Frustrated, Katie closed the magazine and fixed her eyes on Naomi. "Is it just my twat of a sister or are all your people punctually-challenged?"

"My people?" Naomi looked at Katie with confusion on her face.

"Forget it." Katie went back to her magazine.

Naomi fished her phone out of her pocket and typed out a message to Emily:

Help me. I'm in your  
living room & Katie's  
fangs are starting to  
show. I'm afraid to  
make any sudden  
movements. I brought  
something back from  
Bristol for you.

Naomi read back the message and was about to hit send when she decided to add:

And sorry about not  
calling before I came  
over. I missed you  
and I'm just now  
remembering that  
your Fitch Family  
Dinner is tonight.  
X

Naomi pressed the send button and waited. After five seconds she was already regretting the text. _I missed you? Christ. Could you be more pathetic, Naomi? This was a terrible idea. I don't even know why I'm doing this._ Naomi knew exactly why she was there. Five days without breathing the same air as Emily Fitch were too many.

Naomi heard the door to Emily's bedroom open and her eyes snapped up to find her favorite twin standing in the door way.

"Hey." Emily smiled and looked at Naomi like she was the only one in the room. Her dark brown eyes locked onto the blonde's crystal blue ones and she gave her a wink. Her cell phone was in her hand. "I thought I heard your voice."

"Hi." There was no smile on Naomi's face as she slowly got to her feet. She was happy to see Emily, of course, but the feeling that was most prevalent at the moment was not that of happiness. She felt it in the pit of her stomach and it made her heart race as her eyes traveled over every inch of the body before her. Naomi's mouth was suddenly dry. "You look nice."

Emily smirked and looked down at the strapless black dress that Katie had chosen for her. She hadn't yet completely finished dressing, so the matching jacket designed to cover her arms and shoulders was still on the hanger.

The dress wasn't something that she would have picked out for herself, but by the look on Naomi's face, it was a winner. "Thanks." Emily moved towards the blonde making sure that Naomi paid attention to the way her hips swayed with each step.

The vibrant blues and greens and browns of Emily half-sleeve tattoo paired with her dazzling red hair against the black dress was magnificent, or at least Naomi thought so. "You should dress up more often." Naomi grinned as her eyes found their way back up to Emily's.

"Oh God." Katie tossed her magazine on the coffee table and folded her arms across her chest. She was now not only annoyed, but also disgusted by this too cute and flirty display, but she knew better than to comment any further.

Naomi had completely forgotten that they were not alone and checked herself before her lustful thoughts made her lunge at Emily. "I, uh, got you this." She presented Emily with the gift; Emily's eyes lit up as she reached for it with both hands. "You probably already have it, but it just made me think of you for some reason."

Emily opened the paper bag and reached inside. She gave Naomi another sexy smile and as her eyes fell upon her gift, she practically squealed with delight. "Naomi! This is amazing."

"It's from the original pressing and signed by Debbie Harry too." Naomi watched as Emily's fingers lightly traced over the album cover of Blondie's _Parallel Lines_. "I couldn't wait 'til Friday and I wasn't sure if I'd have time to drop it by this week with school and all so..."

Katie scoffed. Naomi didn't dare look over. Emily shot her a death glare.

"What?" Kate shot back. "Like she's the only one who's busy?"

Emily rolled her eyes and grabbed Naomi's hand, pulling her into her bedroom. She shut the door behind them. "I'm sorry about her. She's a right cow tonight. She told me to be ready at seven and then showed up at six-thirty expecting me to be waiting for her."

"No, it's fine. I didn't even call before I came over. I don't want to keep you."

"You're not and I'm glad you did." Emily looked down at their joined hands; neither of them had let go. "I missed you too." Emily's thumb stroked the back of Naomi's hand.

The redhead looked up into Naomi's eyes and took a step closer. Her eyes glanced down at Naomi's lips as she licked her own. "The record is incredible." Emily leaned in closer. "Thank you."

Naomi's eyes closed as she felt Emily's lips touch hers. They kissed slowly, tenderly, the polar opposite of the way their mouths were attacking each other the last time they were in this room.

Emily knew that she had to be careful this time. There was still so much that they needed to talk about and she couldn't risk Naomi running away again. No matter how much she wanted to deepen their kiss and pull Naomi to her, the memory of the last five days without Naomi, without knowing if she would ever see her again, was enough to keep Emily's hands off the blonde.

Emily pulled away first. "I'm sorry. I just can't seem to stop myself from dragging you into my room and kissing you." She grinned up at Naomi. _I have to at least try to apologize._

Naomi blushed and looked away. Emily was trying to make light of the whole incident, which she appreciated, but she was still embarrassed. She put her hands in her pockets and took in a deep breath, unable to look Emily in the eye. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left like that and you didn't do anything wrong. I was just-"

"Naomi, don't." Emily put her hand on Naomi's arm and waited for her to look up. "I should be the one to apologize. I was out of line. I got carried away. I'm sorry." Emily's eyes showed her sincerity. "I didn't mean to scare-"

"Pull your fingers out, Bitch! We're going to be late!" Katie pounded once on the door for emphasis.

Emily bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. Naomi looked officially mortified, but they both ended up smiling. "I guess I'd better get going."

"I'll walk you out." Emily grabbed her jacket off the bed and placed her new prized possession on top of a stack of books on her desk.

They went back out to the living room to find Katie waiting by the front door, coat and purse in-hand. She was about to open her mouth when Emily gave her a warning glance. No words were exchanged, but Katie got the message. "Sorry, it's just, you know how Mum is when we're late."

"I can handle Mum and we're not going to be late. I'll drive."

"Fat fucking chance of that! I'm not getting near that rickety moped of yours. We're taking a taxi." Katie put on her jacket and opened the door. Emily and Naomi followed her down the stairs.

Out on the street, Katie stood on the curb trying to hail a taxi. Emily hung back with Naomi, occasionally looking over at her frustrated twin. "So Friday then?"

"Yes, Friday. I'll pick you up at eight." Naomi smiled as she thought about their upcoming date.

"I'm going to need a night out after this week is over." Emily shook her head as she thought about the long days and nights ahead of her.

"I'm going to be swamped all week too. The end of the year is always the worst. I've got nothing but final papers and exams to prepare for. I envy you."

Upon overhearing that last bit, Katie decided to join the conversation. "You envy her?"

"Yeah, I mean, it would be nice if I only had work to deal with, less pressure and everything."

Emily made a move to jump in, but Katie cut her off. "Less pressure?" Katie looked at Naomi like she was an alien. "I'm sure your little first year law exams and politics papers are a real challenge and all, but really?"

"Actually, I-" Emily tried to steer the conversation in another direction, but Naomi needed to defend her statement.

"I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sure it gets stressful in the shop too, but-"

"Are you for real right now? Do you really think my sister spends her days just working in a shop? Do you think she's a loser or something?" Katie waited for Naomi to reply.

"Well, no, of course not, but-" Naomi looked to Emily for help. She was obviously missing something.

Emily saw the look of utter confusion on Naomi's face and tried to intervene. "Naomi and I haven't really gotten to that-"

"You haven't gotten to it? Isn't this the kind of thing you talk about within the first five minutes of meeting someone?" Katie's turned back on Naomi. "Emily knows every last boring detail about your sorry arse, believe me. Did you just talk about yourself non-stop the night you met?"

Naomi stood dumbfounded on the sidewalk. She looked from Katie to Emily and back. She said nothing, but her wide eyes gave her away.

"Alright. What the fuck is going on here? Emily?" Katie looked to her sister expectantly.

"Well, it's quite funny actually." Emily stalled for time. She didn't want to tell Katie the truth. How would she even explain it without making Naomi look really bad?

"It's okay, Emily." Both sets of brown eyes focused on Naomi as she took a deep breath. "You see, what happened was, the night we met...I made a complete idiot of myself and drank too much, so I can't quite remember everything that happened."

"Oh. So you have a drinking problem then. Great." Katie crossed her arms and glared at Naomi.

"No! It wasn't like that." Emily did her best to defend Naomi.

Katie charged ahead. "Well, regardless of Naomi's addiction, you're telling me that not once in the last two weeks did the topic of Emily going to medical school come up?"

"Medical school?" Naomi's eyes went wide.

Emily looked bashful. "Yeah...I'm studying medicine at UCL, pediatrics."

Naomi opened her mouth to speak, but Katie beat her to it. "She well clever, top of her class. Emily's going to save people. What are you gonna do? Write speeches or something?"

"Wow." Naomi should have had more to say, but she was really just speechless. The hottest, sexiest, loveliest girl she had ever met was going to be a doctor. Naomi's mouth went dry for the second time that evening. "I retract my previous statement. I do not envy you in the least." Naomi smiled at Emily. "Actually, no. I still do. UCL was my first choice. I didn't get in."

"Big surprise there." Katie rolled her eyes.

"Katie, go get a taxi." Emily pointed her sister to the curb.

Katie rolled her eyes and scampered off.

"So, a doctor, huh?" Naomi smirked as she took a step closer to Emily.

"That's right." Emily smiled back.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, it really never came up and to be honest, I get tired of talking about school all the time. It's all my parents ever talk about. It was kind of nice just being the sexy redhead from the tattoo shop with you."

"So, we didn't actually talk about it the night we met?" Naomi narrowed her eyes.

"Oh no, we did. And you thought it was very, very sexy." Emily wrapped her arms around Naomi's waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Emily! Come on." Katie stood next to the waiting taxi cab.

"Go. Call me later." Naomi let go of Emily's hips; her hands had gripped onto them the second they were within reach.

Emily turned and walked to the taxi. Naomi watched her go. Once inside, Emily waved from the backseat. Naomi waved back and smiled. _Dr. Emily Fitch. _This girl was too good to be true.

* * *

**Katie's reaction wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, I mean, besides her accusing Naomi of having a drinking problem. But then again, Naomi did sugarcoat the truth a bit. So, what do you think of our little Emsy studying to become a doctor? She does wear those latex gloves like a pro, doesn't she? I'd love to hear your thoughts. And YES! Fitch Family Dinner is next! All I can say is that there will be a six-seater table and some type of weird, healthy soup.**

* * *

**I know you all only put up with the story to get the music, so thank you to Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches for Chapter 12's picks. Check out the youtube page and enjoy.**

**http: / www. youtube. com/ user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 12**

**65. Trumpets & Violins- Suburban Kids with Biblical Names**  
Emily calls Naomi. This is for the phone call and all the texts. There isn't much to this song. It sounds happy, and I can picture Emily reading text messages and smiling with this song in the background. **(Blondie: If only someone else was singing it! Argh!)**

**66. Floating Vibes- Surfer Blood**  
Naomi calls Cook. I'm guessing this is more of a love affair type song. But I think it serves the situation here. **(Blondie: This song has a really nice pace to it and there's kind of that 60s vibe to it that I love. I like Naomi's frustration with Cook contrasted with this music.)**

**67. Guns of Brooklyn- Santogold**  
Effy and Emily giving the fat man the tattoo. There are certain bands and songs that I associate with characters because of the show. This is one of those situations. In the first episode of series three, Effy walks down the hall to "Shove It" by Santogold, and now I associate Santigold (as she now goes by) with Effy. This is a modified, almost cover type thing. Maybe it's more inspired by "Guns of Brixton." The song is just too cool and playing in the shop when they give Bruce the tattoo. **(Blondie: I always imagine Effy listening to music that you'd get high to...so yes...this works.)**

**68. What I'm Trying to Say- Stars**  
Naomi arrives. This is just a sweet little song for them to flirt to. **(Blondie: Aw...this is a great flirting song...and really the title says it all.)**

**69. Sleepyhead- Passion Pit**  
Naomi and Emily eat dinner. See the above statement about certain bands reminding me of certain characters. **(Blondie: I think the contrast between this song's position on Skins and this song's position in Ink is really quite telling. On Skins: Emily and Naomi in bed...naked. In Ink: Emily and Naomi eating dinner. Yeah...my story isn't as hot.)**

**70. On To the Next One- Jay Z**  
Effy tells Naomi and Emily that Katie is coming over. I love rap music, like whoa, and I love this song. I really like this song for the reveal that Naomi is about to meet big bad Katie. **(Blondie: Hahahahaha! Yes! This is so awesome! And another really great "chapter ending" song. Roll credits.)**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hi! So lovely to see you all. I've been around, I really have, and I've been reading some fantastic new stories and I've just been so entertained by all you fantastic writers out there that it took me a fucking long time to get this chapter up. There was also a very special birthday that was celebrated out in the desert and then last weekend is kind of a blur. All I know is that everyone should check out Sunsets and Broken Dreams by SummerSkins and Standing On The Shore by Lioness Rawr. I've got a beach theme going; I guess that means I'm looking for some more hot weather. ;)  
**

* * *

Chapter 20

Naomi watched the taxi drive away until it was completely out of sight. She reached into the pocket of her blazer and produced a pack of cigarettes. As she pulled one fag out from the others, she heard the bell on the door of the tattoo parlor jingle and glanced over. "Oh, hey."

"Hey." Effy looked down at Naomi, an unlit cigarette hanging from her lip. She sat down on the stoop; Naomi offered her a light. Effy leaned towards the flame and took a deep pull, her steely blue eyes connecting with Naomi's. "She's not here." She exhaled a thick cloud of smoke and looked out onto the street.

"Yeah, I know." Naomi lit up and put her lighter back into the pocket of her jeans; her hand stayed there as she held the fag between her fingers with the other. "I saw her just now, actually, before they left, she and Katie." Silence. "I was just about to head home."

"But?"

"Well, I was hoping to run into you actually."

"Oh?" Effy quirked an eyebrow as she took another pull.

"Yeah. I wanted to thank you for your help the other day, with Emily...and..." Naomi was entering unfamiliar territory. "...ask you for some advice."

* * *

"Take my advice, Ems." Katie wasn't going to let this drop without her final word. "Do not, and I repeat, _do not_ ever wear purple." She shuddered at the thought. "I don't care what anyone says; it will clash with your hair and you'll look a right mess."

The taxi ride from Emily's bohemian neighborhood to the Fitch Family's posh residence was only about fifteen minutes, but Emily could have sworn that she had been listening to Katie for hours. The younger twin lifted her head up from the back of the seat to look her sister in the eye. "Thank you, Katie. I'll make sure that never happens." Emily's head returned to its resting position and her mind returned to thoughts of Naomi.

"Good. And if you can somehow work this into conversation, let that blonde friend of yours know that floral patterns are never a good idea."

"What makes you think Naomi would wear floral?"

"I was talking about that Panda person, but mention it to Naomi too. She seems the type." Katie continued to flip through the fashion magazine she had pulled from her bag and Emily wondered if she ever actually stopped flipping long enough to read anything.

* * *

Naomi hated the idea of asking for advice from anyone, let alone a girl Emily had once slept with, but she also had to make a good impression on their first date. Effy was Emily's best friend and it had only happened that one time; she would know better than anyone what Emily would prefer. "I've narrowed it down to two choices. Do you think you could tell me which option Emily would like best?"

Effy stared at the blonde but said nothing.

Naomi continued. "For our date on Friday?"

Effy took a long drag from her cigarette. "And why should I help you?"

* * *

Emily and Katie stood in front of a large wooden door with a sign hung from it that read "Don't Get Fit, Get Fitch," their family motto and business slogan. The door flew open and Jenna welcomed them with a smile. "My darlings! Come in, come in." Jenna threw her arms around her girls and pulled them into a Fitch Hug. Upon releasing them, Jenna gave them the once-over. "Look at how beautiful you are. Emily, your dress! I just love it."

"Thanks, Mum. Katie picked it out."

"Of course she did, my little fashionista." Jenna placed her palm on Katie's cheek and gave her a tight smile. As she shut the door behind them she added some unsolicited advice. "Although, with a few more years of school, you could design the dresses yourself instead of just picking them out for people."

"Mum!" Katie folded her arms across her chest.

Jenna raised her hands in surrender. "I know, I know." Jenna hooked arms with her twins and they headed through the house. "I just want my girls to be the best that they can be, living normal, healthy lives, full of love and prosperity."

As if on cue, both daughters rolled their eyes in perfect unison.

* * *

Naomi's eye went wide. She should have trusted her gut. She should have never asked Effy for anything. This is why she made her own decisions and never cared what anyone else thought. She was still surprised though and she couldn't keep it from showing in her eyes. "What?"

Effy turned to look at the blonde girl standing to her right. "Emily was upset." Effy brought her hand to her mouth again; the end of the cigarette was almost to her lips when she paused. "You upset her." Effy took another drag and looked away.

Naomi stared down at Effy. She was starting to dislike the direction of this conversation and cursed herself again for making herself vulnerable to criticism. "Yeah, well, that's sorted now, so..." Naomi trailed off and her eyes focused on the postbox that was bolted to the sidewalk in front of her.

"Is it?" Effy's eyebrow was raised when she glanced over at her again. "Is that what Emily wants you to believe?"

* * *

"My girls! There they are!" Rob Fitch got to his feet as the apples of his eyes entered the dining room. He held out his arms and Emily and Katie surrendered once again to an intense hug like the ones they had grow up with. Rob placed a kiss on the tops of both of their heads and squeezed them a bit tighter.

"Hi Bitches." James, the youngest of the Fitch clan, appeared from the kitchen and took his seat at the table. Rob released the twins and on their way to their seats, James got a smack about the head from each of them and was greeted with a "hey, loser" and "fuck off, perv."

Emily sat down next to James and Katie across from her. Rob returned to his chair at the head of the table and smiled at his brood, his eyes wide and teeth amazingly white.

Jenna approached her happy family carrying a roasting pan, her hands protected with giant pink oven mitts. "Tofu Surprise!" She placed the pan in the middle of the table. It jiggled for a few seconds and then came to a rest. The Fitch kids looked disgustedly at their dinner and sighed in unison.

* * *

Naomi was silently fuming. There was a tone in Effy's voice that scared the shit out of her while her words made Naomi's stomach drop to her feet. Her immediate response was defensive. "What the fuck are you on about?" Naomi tried to keep her voice even and forceful, but it wavered just slightly and she knew Effy heard it.

"Emily is very forgiving, when she wants to be."

"And you have a problem with that?" Naomi narrowed her eyes.

"No." Effy took a final drag off of what was left of her cigarette. "It's just that some things can never be forgiven." Effy returned her gaze out onto the street.

Naomi had no clue how to respond to that. She felt like they weren't even talking about the same thing anymore. She waited for Effy to speak again or leave or just do something. She eventually gave up.

"Alright, well, I should go." Naomi had had enough of Effy and her weirdness for one day. She flicked the butt of her cigarette into the street and turned away. "See ya."

Effy wasn't done with her yet. "It's easier for you to just walk away." She knew that Naomi could still hear her even as the distance between them became greater. "She's going to find out. You can't keep pretending forever, Naomi."

* * *

"So...Emily...are you dating anyone these days?" Jenna smiled at her youngest daughter and waited for a reply. They had all just finished hearing about Katie's endless string of admirers, each one had been dismissed by Jenna for one reason or another; Katie had a knack for attracting beautiful losers. And when the conversation had reached its natural pause, Emily knew she was next up on the chopping block.

Katie could still feel the sting of her mum's criticism and she felt like giving some back, only aimed at a weaker target. "I wouldn't really call what Emily does _dating_, Mum." Katie threw Emily a snotty look. Emily threw it back.

"I bet Emily's been fucking loads of girls, haven't you, Ems?" James looked to Emily for confirmation, his admiration of his sister evident in his beaming eyes. Ever since Emily came out to her family and Effy Stonem made her first appearance, Emily had become James' hero.

Jenna's eyebrows hit the ceiling. "Rob! Did you just hear what he said?"

"She is a Fitch, Love." Rob gave Emily a wink.

"Fuck, Rob! He said fuck!" Jenna was beyond outraged.

Rob saw the fury in his wife's eyes and quickly changed his tune. "That's twenty reps on the naughty bar, Boy!" He pointed at James with authority. "Go!"

James rolled his eyes and got up from the table. Katie smiled at her brother's punishment and Emily just prayed that the conversation had moved on from her love life.

No such luck.

"Well then." Jenna took a deep breath and a sip of wine, the calm returning to her face. She looked over at Emily and smiled, waiting for her daughter to answer the question.

"Well, I have been seeing someone actually. Her name's Naomi. We have a date this Friday."

"Oh?" Jenna was desperate for more information, but trying to play it cool. "And what does Naomi do?"

"She's at Goldsmiths, studying law and politics." Emily poked at the lumps of tofu on her plate.

Jenna's face lit up. "Can you imagine it, Rob? A doctor _and_ a lawyer in one family! It's like a shimmering dream."

Katie rolled her eyes and sat back on her chair. Rob nodded his head enthusiastically as he shoveled food into his mouth.

"It's our first date, Mum!" Emily's words fell on deaf ears.

"She sounds just wonderful, Emsy. Katie, why can't you find a nice boy with a future like your sister has?"

"You haven't even met the girl, Mum! She could be hideous and stupid and, and...covered in tattoos for all you know!" Katie's brown eyes locked onto Emily's matching ones as she added the last jab. Emily glared back at her and pulled the collar of her jacket closed.

The smile dropped from Jenna's face and she gave Emily a serious look. Even Rob stilled his fork long enough to hear the outcome of this one.

"Don't worry; she's not _covered_ in tattoos." Emily hung her head and Katie looked triumphant.

Rob went back to his dinner with a smile and Jenna reached for her wine glass, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank God for that. I just can't imagine you falling for someone like that Stonem Girl again. She was so pretty before." Jenna shook off a chill that ran up her spine. "I'll just never understand how that girl's parents let her do all that damage to her body."

"Your body is your temple, Girls." Rob pointed his fork at the girls. James returned to the table holding his now sore biceps. Jenna nodded in agreement and took another sip of wine.

* * *

Naomi stopped and slowly turned around. She locked eyes with Effy as rage bubbled up from deep inside of her. It only took a few quick steps to reach the stoop. "I'm not _pretending_. I don't even know what I'd be pretending about." Naomi glared down at the meddling girl she was towering over. "Emily told me about the parts that I can't remember and it's sorted."

The corner of Effy's mouth turned up into a smirk. "She told you everything?"

"Yeah, she did. And whatever happened between Emily and me on that night is really none of your concern, is it?" Naomi had made her point and straightened her posture.

The only thing Effy noticed was that she had hit a nerve. "You're right." Effy flicked the butt of her cigarette into the gutter and got to her feet. "Well, when you're ready to get your _E_ for_ Eastbourne_ touched-up..." She didn't bother to finish the rest of her sentence.

Effy floated up the steps and gripped the handle of the door. She gave Naomi one last glance. "She loves the theatre and live music and she thinks that fancy restaurants are for tossers." The bell on the door rang out and Effy was gone.

Naomi stood there frozen, her mouth agape, eyes wide. The anger that had been welling up inside of her had turned into painful fear as she turned her back on the shop and started walking away.

* * *

**Surprise! Jenna doesn't have a problem with gay people; she has a problem with tattooed people! Emily better keep that jacket on tight, yeah? It was never in the plan for there to be conflict in regards to Emily or Naomi being gay in this story, so I hope you like the spin I put on Jenna. I mean, she's the same Jenna...she just has a different vendetta this time around. **

**The Effy and Naomi stuff was hard to write! Just thinking about this chapter was enough to cause a major battle with the block. But with the help of my inspirationleader, HMHDHB (and yes, James' "Hi Bitches" was for you), I was able to pull it together and get this fucking posted. My beautiful girlfriend was also very inspiring. ;)  
**

**I'm not sure how it played or if it was worth the wait, but I hope you all liked it. And since Effy was no help at all, maybe you could help Naomi and give her some date ideas...especially you ladies out there who actually live in London! I know that I probably don't deserve it, but if you could just press that little button at the bottom of the page and let me know what you thought, I'll start writing the next chapter tomorrow. **

**

* * *

**

**Everybody dance!**

**http: / www. youtube. com/ user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 13**

**71. Don't Be a Jerk, Jonny- the Drums**  
Emily thinking about Katie coming over. You know how much I like this song. I don't know if you recall the night I took a couple Claratin and got really into singing this song on the way to the bar; if you don't remember, all that happened. For this part I think it's fairly apt, Emily is afraid Katie is going to be a jerk and Katie will say it's out of love. I would also frequently say that this song could work for Naomi/Emily circa series four when Emily was all pilled up. **(Blondie: This song has one of those "Oh man, something's gonna happen" qualities to it. Once again, it makes me think of Adventures in Babysitting. What the hell is wrong with me?)**

**72. Ode to LA- the Raveonettes**  
Emily comes back into the room to find Naomi and Effy chatting. This is being played in the shop by Emily or Effy. I'm kind of thinking Effy because the Raveonettes are officially her band. The reasoning for this song is kind of high concept. Beyond the fact that it's a fantastic song, and it's lovely background music, it's all about Los Angeles, but a specific version of LA. In this song LA is this amazing fantasy world where all you do is have fun and you never have to frown. For Naomi the tattoo shop is a bit like that. Her time spent there is so separate from the rest of her world, that it's her own little fantasyland. **(Blondie: Ooh, I can totally picture Effy and Naomi having a laugh with this song in the background. And Holy Jesus! The part with Ronnie Spector just kicked in and guess what...Ronnie Spector made me think of The Ronettes' Be My Baby, which then made me think of The Crystals' Then He Kissed Me, which is the love song in...Adventures in Babysitting!)  
**

**73. Bang!- the Raveonettes**  
Katie enters. This is pulled from the Effy playlist. I think this is also apt background music. **(Blondie: You are as cool as ice cream! Aw...so cute.)**

**74. To Kingdom Come- Passion Pit**  
Emily and Naomi are being surprisingly coupley. More background music being played in the shop. There tends to be a pattern with the music being played in the shop and it's not just because I'm lazy but it's because Effy or Emily are the ones picking what's played in the store, and as a result they pick songs by bands they like, and they'll pick a song by them more than once. **(Blondie: I have to say that it was super adorbs when Naomi was clearing off the coffee table and without even asking, Emily just was like "Oh, here you go baby," and pointed out the trash bin. I don't think she actually said those words, but that was the meaning.)**

**75. Homelife- Arms**  
Effy and Naomi outside. I didn't want anything too too melodramatic, so I think this works. This seems like a good song to smoke to. **(Blondie: This is very nice, low-key, kind of silent reflection music. And it's not melodramatic at all, it's just right.)**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: It's Date Night! And you are all lovely people.  
**

* * *

Chapter 21

"Jesus Christ!" Naomi ducked under an awning to get out of the sodding English rain, which had decided to make an appearance as she turned the corner onto Emily's street. _Of course! It's been lovely all fucking week, but it just has to piss down rain tonight! _ She shook off the droplets of water that had managed to stick to her beige trench coat and checked her reflection in the store's window. She had left her hair wavy with the front pinned back so there was no harm done, thankfully.

Naomi turned to look out onto the street; no one seemed to care that it had started raining, but then again, no one had a date with Emily Fitch that night either...besides her. Naomi glanced at her watch; she was fifteen minutes early. Emily's flat was only a few more buildings over, but as luck would have it, none of those buildings in between had awnings, so she decided to stay put.

Naomi leaned against the storefront and lit a cigarette; her lips turned up into a ghost of a smile as she exhaled and imagined Emily getting ready for their date. She wondered what the redhead would be wearing and if it was going to be anything like that black dress she had on for Fitch Family Dinner. Naomi thought that Emily would look good in anything, really. The image of a shirtless Emily entered her mind suddenly as a full-on smile lit up her face. _...or nothing at all._

The sky opened up fully then and the noise of passing cars was drowned out by the sound of rain hitting the canvas above her head. She shook the thoughts of Emily away quickly before the next one could appear, the one that always followed and made her stomach tense. The one that she saw every time she thought back to that night in Emily's bedroom when their kissing had turned into something much more serious, something Naomi wasn't yet ready to experience.

Naomi took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _Don't start. You'll be fine. Emily said yes to this date. She wants to spend time with you. Stop worrying about it. _Naomi's pep talks to herself were rarely this reassuring, but tonight was special and she wasn't going to let anything stand in her way, not even the fucking rain.

Naomi knew that it was still a bit early, but she needed to keep moving. She took a final drag off her cigarette and flicked it into the gutter, popped a mint into her mouth, and took off her coat. _You should have thought to bring an umbrella._ Naomi rolled her eyes and told her internal monologue to pipe down as she held her coat over her head and made a dash for Emily's front door.

* * *

Emily carefully put the needle on the record that she had selected for Naomi's arrival. She couldn't really believe that she had even thought about what music should be playing when her date came to pick her up, but then again, Naomi Campbell had never picked her up for a date before either.

As _Hanging on the Telephone _began playing through Emily's Hi-Fi, she heard a knock on the door. She practically skipped over to it and opened it with a giant smile on her face. "Hi!"

Naomi was smiling back at her, jacket slung over her arm. "Bonsoir."

Emily stepped to the side to let Naomi in; Naomi glanced around the room to make sure that they were the only ones present and then turned to watch Emily as she closed the door behind her. They stood there for what seemed like just a bit too long, staring at each other with silly grins on their faces.

Naomi spoke first. "You look _really_ good." She then tried to say something a bit more polite and first date-like. "I mean, you look very nice." Both statements were true, but as Naomi let her eyes trail up and down Emily's body once more, she let Cook's influence take over for a second and the words _fucking mint_ came to mind. The dress Emily wore was emerald green and it looked like it was made of silk or satin or something like that, Naomi wasn't sure, but it looked like it would feel amazing against her skin.

Emily liked the way Naomi's eyes were roaming all over her and returned the compliment. "You look..._really_ good too." Emily couldn't take her eyes off Naomi's; the azure blue shirt she was wearing made her eyes sparkle and look twice as blue as they do normally. When Emily was finally able to break the trance those eyes held her in, she also took notice of just how many buttons Naomi had left undone. Emily licked her lips and tried her best to tear her eyes away from Naomi's incredible cleavage. She wondered if she would be able to keep from staring at it for the entire night. _That's going to be fucking impossible._ "I like your necklace."

"Thanks." Naomi touched the string of dark blue beads the hung around her neck and played with them absentmindedly as she looked around the room.

Emily could tell Naomi was a bit nervous and she realized that she was as well. There was this invisible barrier between them that hadn't ever been there before. She figured that putting the stamp of "first date" on what had previously been labeled "hanging out" made everything seem a bit more formal.

As they stood in the middle of her living room not knowing what to say to each other, Emily broke first. "This is ridiculous." She grabbed the front of Naomi's shirt and pulled her into a firm kiss. Naomi's eyes went wide, but she soon surrendered to the feeling of Emily's lips on hers and slowly let them close. Her body relaxed and her hands found the redhead's small waist. Naomi was right; that silky green dress did feel amazing.

Once Emily felt like she had sufficiently kissed the tension away, she leaned back from Naomi as if she was surprised by her own actions. "Sorry." She released her grip on the blonde and looked down at the crumpled material she left behind. "Shit. Sorry." Emily straightened Naomi's collar and smoothed her hands over the front of her shirt, which did nothing to help the wrinkles, but she kept her hands there anyway.

Naomi's chest was heaving and she was sure that Emily could feel her heart pounding beneath her small hands.

Emily smiled up at her and took a step back, taking her hands away as well. "I knew there was a reason I hadn't put my lipstick on yet." Emily gave Naomi a cheeky smirk.

"If that's the reason, you shouldn't bother putting it on at all." Naomi flashed a devious grin that was more of a promise than anything else.

* * *

"You can't stop thinking about it, can you?" Emily narrowed her eyes at the distracted blonde across the table from her.

"No, no. It's fine." Naomi shook her head and returned her fork to her plate, opting to take a sip of wine instead of placing that bite of chicken parmigiana in her mouth.

"I'm so sorry." Emily had a worried look on her face as she tried to figure out if she had completely ruined dinner or not. "I forget sometimes, because it doesn't bother me, that talking about that kind of thing...grosses people out."

"No, really. It's fine." Even Naomi didn't believe that it was fine when she heard her voice come out at such a high pitch. She tried to make it sound normal again as she continued. "I mean, it is interesting and I did ask, so I can't really blame you for giving me an honest and..." Naomi gulped. "...descriptive answer." Naomi took another sip of wine and gave Emily a closed-lip smile.

Emily looked down at Naomi's half-eaten meal and felt even worse for telling her all about the human cadaver she had dissected in her Anatomy class earlier that day.

There was an awkward pause between them.

"This wine is really good." Naomi finished off what was left in her glass and reached for the bottle.

Emily got to it first. "Here, let me."

"Thanks."

Emily filled Naomi's glass and topped hers off as well. "This restaurant is really cool. How did you find it?"

"Oh, I just came across it one day." That was not the truth; Naomi spent hours researching every hole-in-the-wall, family owned, casual, but not crappy restaurant in town, which included in-person visits to her top five choices, and had decided on this one due to the red checkered table cloths, which she knew Emily would love, and its proximity to the bar they were going to for after dinner drinks.

"Well, I really like it." Emily smiled and placed her hand on top of Naomi's. "And I know that I ruined your appetite and I promise that I'll make it up to you...in _any_ way you see fit."

"_Any_ way?" Naomi quirked an eyebrow at Emily's playful banter. She felt Emily's thumb brush softly against her skin and she couldn't help but smile back at the gorgeous redhead that she was lucky enough to be with tonight.

Naomi still couldn't wrap her head around why someone like Emily Fitch, with her amazing looks and cool friends and future doctoral degree in medicine, would have any interest in someone like her, but she wasn't going to dwell on it, not right now with Emily's hand touching hers.

"May I?" Emily lifted Naomi's hand and gently turned it over so her palm was facing up. "I haven't had the chance to check your progress for a while." The cuff of Naomi's shirt was unbuttoned by Emily's nimble fingers and the material covering her wrist was folded back.

"It now makes sense why you seemed so at home in those latex gloves."

Emily let out a throaty chuckle that made Naomi's heart swell more than she would have ever thought possible. "Wait 'til you see me with my piercing needles. That's a real stunner."

Naomi bit her bottom lip and looked down to where Emily's eyes were fixed. She watched as her delicate fingertips traced over the lines of black ink on her skin.

Emily let out a small sigh. "It's so lovely." She brought her dark brown eyes up to meet the blue ones that were waiting for her. "It's doing lovely." She flashed Naomi a bright smile that hadn't been there just seconds before. "You're an excellent patient."

It wasn't until the check was paid for and the coats were gathered that Emily realized that between the two of them, it wasn't Naomi who should be commended for her patience.

* * *

**Did you really think that the entire date was going to fit into one chapter? I would hope that you all know me better than that by now. There is more date night to come and more soundtrack picks from Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches to come. (She told me I could post them in the next chapter in an effort to get this chapter up faster for your reading enjoyment.) I sure hope you're still enjoying it. If you are, please leave a review. : )**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Alright. I'm not really in a writing mood at the moment and listening to music and drinking sounds like a way better option than staring at my computer trying to get my brain to channel our two most favorite ladies ever as they flirt and smile at each other all night. So, this is what's going to happen instead. Below is like...eh...half a chapter and a shit ton of Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches' song picks. I'm going to hop on over to the Ink youtube page and drink my whiskey and water that I've got at my side and I'm going to make comments about the songs. Sound good? Good.**

**Oh, also...I fucking love all of you! To be honest...sometimes I just don't have any motivation at all and then I post a new chapter and my inbox gets stuffed with all your amazing reviews and story alerts and favorite author adds and it just makes me so happy to be doing this. Thank you again. You are all just fucking top shelf!**

* * *

Chapter 22

Naomi wasn't sure who she should thank, really. Jesus Christ was her go-to for most occasions, but she was fairly certain that Mother Nature was her best bet considering that the rain had stopped and the clouds had fucked right off and it had turned into a gorgeous night. A night in which her original plan of taking Emily on a proper date didn't include ducking into taxis and dodging puddles.

Emily was just as pleased that the weather had turned around. She much preferred traveling on-foot and surrounding herself with the noise and the people and feeling of the city. Her decision to buy a moped with her college graduation money from her parents instead of blowing it on a handbag and shoes like Katie had was directly related to her dislike of watching life through car windows. She wondered if she'd ever be able to get Naomi on the back of her ride. Just the thought of those thin arms wrapped around her waist was enough to make Emily grin from ear to ear.

"What?" Naomi saw the change in Emily's expression out of the corner of her eye as they strolled down the lane on their way to their next destination, which Naomi had discovered through her meticulous research and instantly knew that Emily would love it.

Emily looked over, her smile changing into a smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know." She gave Naomi a wink.

"I would, actually. It's kind of the reason I asked." Naomi's voice was playful and any nerves she had been feeling earlier had been snuffed out, it seemed, by half a bottle of wine. "Especially if there's even the slightest chance that your smile indicates that you're having a good time."

Emily laughed.

"What?" Perhaps a few of those nerves were still hanging about.

"Nothing. It's just cute."

"What's cute?"

"It's just...you always do that."

"I always do what?"

Emily shook her head and thought about just dropping it, but then she saw what appeared to be worry behind those incredible blue eyes and she had to say it. She also wanted to see what Naomi's reaction would be. "You _always_ use three times as many words as you need to instead of just saying things straight."

Naomi stopped walking and turned to face the cheeky redhead who had dared to question her way of speaking. "Emily, we've had about three conversations since we met, so the idea that you know I'm _always_ doing anything is a bit ridiculous."

"See. You did it again!" Emily had a delighted look on her face as she watched Naomi bite her bottom lip and look away. Her point had been proven. "I'm not sure why you're trying to deny it; I said that it's cute."

The corner of Naomi's mouth turned up into a smile and her eyes connected with Emily's once again. "Emily?"

"Yes?"

"Are you having a good time?" Naomi could be direct.

Emily took a step towards the blonde, reached up and wrapped her arms around Naomi's slender neck. "Naomi?" The redhead would always be more direct.

Naomi's hands instinctively found their way to Emily's hips and she was once again reminded of how natural it felt, being like this with Emily. "Yes?"

"This is the best date I've ever been on and I'm having the best time."

"Good, because this is the _only_ date I've ever been on." Naomi saw the surprise flash across Emily's face and wished that she hadn't just said that. But before she had the chance to make too much of it and berate herself for being a total git once again, Naomi pulled Emily closer and pressed their lips together in a slow, searing kiss.

Emily's lips were so soft; Naomi didn't think that it was possible for lips to be that soft, but they were and she took Emily's bottom lip into her mouth and ran her tongue across it gently. She wondered if every one's kisses felt like theirs, but then she doubted it because she had kissed other people before, one of them even being a girl, and those kisses weren't even on the same plane as the ones she shared with Emily.

She thought that maybe it was the combination of their lips that made it feel so much more wonderful than any other. Perhaps there was something about the shapes or sizes of their mouths that just worked, but then it didn't really matter, because whatever it was was making her skin heat up all over her body and her heart was pounding wildly and there was an energy that was growing between them making her want to open her mouth wider and then there was a loud beep from a passing car's horn and wolf whistles followed by _Grab her tits!_ and the kiss broke apart.

The two girls kept their bodies close together, but each looked a bit sheepish as they came back to reality. Emily kept a smile on her face, but there was anger underneath and if given the chance, she'd kick each one of those bastards in the passing car so hard in the bollocks, it would make their noses bleed. She could do it too; her last name wasn't Fitch for nothing.

"Sorry." Naomi took a step back.

Emily kept a firm grip on her shoulders. "Don't apologize just because those ballbags are classless wankers."

"Oh." Naomi raised her eyebrows at Emily's descriptive language. "I wasn't actually apologizing for that, but I'll keep it in mind for the next time that I kiss you on the street and we inevitably get whistled at." Naomi grinned down at the little fireball in front of her.

It was Emily's turn to say, "Oh," as a light shade of pink covered her smooth cheeks.

"Shall we continue on then?" Naomi held out her arm for Emily to take.

Emily looked down at it and a ridiculously gorgeous smile was instantly on her face. She threaded her arm through Naomi's and held on firmly to her bicep as they began walking again. "Thank you."

"Of course. Wouldn't want you to think of me as a classless ballbag, now would I?" Naomi placed her free hand on top of Emily's and felt her skin started to hum. _Perhaps there's a correlation between soft lips and soft hands._

"So why did you say sorry then?" Emily looked up at her with a puzzled expression.

"For eating that second piece of garlic bread."

Emily let out that deep, throaty laugh that never failed to make Naomi smile and as they turned the corner, Emily remembered that she had also enjoyed the bread and asked Naomi if perhaps she'd like to stop somewhere for a pack of gum.

* * *

**Did any of you think that Naomi was going to lose her mind when those guys cat-called them? I did, but then she didn't and I was surprised. But then I figured that if I was Naomi and I had just been making out with Emily...you could pretty much punch me in the face and I'd still be smiling.**

**Okay...dinner is over...they are walking somewhere. Where should that somewhere be?**

**A. Back to Emily's**  
**B. Sex Shop**  
**C. Whiskey Bar**  
**D. Haunted House**  
**E. At This Point You Don't Really Care As Long As They Do It Soon**

**PS: The new Robyn album Body Talk Pt. 2 is The Shit!  
**

* * *

**Here's all those bomb-ass tracks I was talking about. Thank You to my darling 6seatertable for finding all the songs and putting them on the youtube page. Fuck knows I wouldn't be able to figure out how to do it!**

**http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 14**

**76. Youth- Beach Fossils**  
Naomi outside the shop. I finally bought this full length album, and I really like it. You can barely understand what he is saying but a lot of the songs are actually pretty sweet little love songs. In this case it's sort of one, if you listen very closely, it works for Naomi here. I always write nonsense about the tempo and blah blah, but that is what I look for first and I this is what I wanted. Nothing too fast or too slow, she just has a quiet moment to herself. **(Blondie: You're right. I can't really understand the lyrics, but I feel like they are fitting. This is another one those moments when Naomi can't let deal with it, it being the reality of the situation. I just picked out the line "I don't know what I feel, but I feel it all tonight." Yep. Couldn't have said it any better.)**

**77. I Think We're Alone Now- the Pipettes**  
Emily and Naomi talking about Emily a little bit. Another time where I think something a little quiet is in order. **(Blondie: Aww. Adorbs!)**

**78. Portions for Foxes- Rilo Kiley**  
Emily and Naomi kiss. So, this is just a fun song. Maybe not the best for these two but, fuck it. Shit is kind of fucked up between them still, and it's fun. **(Blondie: Yay! \o/ Rilo Kiley is just the non-stop ultimate (except for that last album). I got to go up on stage with Rilo Kiley once...it was magical. I stood right behind Jenny Lewis and sang my little heart out. That has nothing to do with this part of the story, but it's a fun fact.)**

**Vol. 15**

**79. Living In America- Dom**  
Emily and Naomi re-enter the shop. Another song being played in the shop. This just so happens to be one of my favorite songs right now. It is no secret that I am rather patriotic, to an almost cartoonish extent, so I automatically like anything that mentions America. I think it's a nice little way to start the chapter and I think Katie would like this out of all the shit Emily listens to because it says "sexy" a shit ton. **(Blondie: Hahaha! Katie LOVES anything that involves the word "sexy." Let's not forget that sign that was on their bedroom door growing up!)**

**80. Major Label Debut (fast)- Broken Social Scene**  
More shop background music. It's a nice song, and I had a super nerdy drunk conversation when I was 19 at CMJ in New York about this song and this version of it. It was at least 20 minutes and the guy I was talking to was talking some nonsense about the fact that this wasn't on the album, because it would have been too much of a hit because the song is so good, and Broken Social Scene didn't want to be that popular. **(Blondie: I'm really surprised that you didn't pick a song for Katie's tattoo reveal and the mention of Danny Guillermo. You could have used a rap song! Oh well.)**

**81. You're the Kind of Girl- Mixel Pixel**  
Emily and Naomi talking after Katie and Effy are gone. I think it's a good song. **(Blondie: Ooh...you totally got the vibe of mellower perfectly and this song is about a girl and going out on a date and liking that girl...so it works!)**

**82. Actor Out of Work- St. Vincent**  
Emily and Naomi making out. So, I have a very specific image for how this song plays in the scene. It's starts the second they kiss and it's loud. Well, I guess it's not that specific after all. **(Blondie: Nice choice for the make out music! Emily just kind of jumps on her, doesn't she? I really liked that part of the story. We got to see Emily being Emily and Naomi being super into it but also terrified.)**

**Vol. 16**

**83. Vacation- Beach Fossils**  
Naomi on the train. I am nothing if not obvious. The lyrics of this song seem to have been written for this scene. I had read the chapter before I listened to this album, so when I heard this song it jumped out at me. It was an easy pick. **(Blondie: Wow. Of the lyrics I can understand, it's tots perfect for Naomi on the train. Also to a weird degree. And the little tambourine bit makes me think of a train chugging along the tracks.)**

**84. Today Will Be Better, I Swear- Stars**  
Emily "reading." I model Emily's taste in music after someone I know, with little glimpses of myself in there. I have certain music I listen to for different situations, and so does Emily. Stars are a comfort band of hers (much like me), and this is kind of her comfort song. She is just desperate to feel better and if the song tells her today will be better, then it just might be. **(Blondie: I'm surprised I haven't heard this song before. Stars does have a kind of comforting feeling to their music. I get it.)**

**85. Encouragement- Bandit Teeth**  
Naomi goes to see Cook. This song is from my Cook playlist. I was desperate to use this for a Cook entrance. It doesn't go with the rest of the music for Naomi in this chapter, but the start is just so Cook. And since its been a while without some Cook, he deserves his own song. **(Blondie: This one's not on the playlist...but I'm sure that it's a great selection.)**

**86. Anthonio (Designer Drugs Remix)- Annie**  
Emily and Effy pregaming. The words to start the song are what Emily is thinking. This is when they're still at Emily's apartment. Since they are about to hit the town, they're listening to dance music. I wanted the Emily songs to be very different from the Naomi songs for this chapter, and I hope that ended up happening. **(Blondie: I pretty much listen to dance music all the time, but I most definitely turn up the dance jams before going to the club! Emily and I have that in common.)**

***87. Bonus track: Show My Ass- Dominique Young Unique**  
This is for the one and only Arsia. We all know that that is the one Effy called. God, this song is such trash and I love it. I'm not embarrassed to say it. It doesn't really fit in this chapter but I had to include it, for the one and only. **(Blondie: YES! Jesus Christ I love Arsia and her soundtrack!)**

**88. Hurricane Drunk- Florence and the Machine**  
Naomi drinking with Cook. This was a song that I had planned on using for this story from the get go, it was just a matter of finding a home for it. I hope it will be happy where I placed it. It could go for either of them lyrically but I think musically it suits Naomi more. **(Blondie: Haha! "At least things can't get any worse." Right.)**

**89. Steppin' Up- M.I.A.**  
Emily in her new outfit. I have already expressed my M.I.A. love and picked a few songs (thank you for the heads up on my song title mistake. My bad). This song, which I drunkenly described to someone as "sick" (no ones perfect) is off of her new album that I've heard terrible things about, but I haven't heard yet, so I can't say anything. This song works for Emily here, she is in club badass mode. **(Blondie: Ooh...I am into this for Emily and her outfit. Yes please! I'm having seriously inappropriate thoughts about that redhead now. But what's new?)**

**90. Tightrope- Yeasayer**  
Naomi and Cook talking about her lady troubles. Well gosh, I think the song speaks for itself. Again with me picking the obvious lyrics. Side note: I highly recommend singing along to the "never mind, never mind, never mind, never mind, never mi-hu-hu-ind". **(Blondie: I am really liking the contrast of the Naomi/Cook songs to the Emily/Effy songs. That alone speaks volumes, right? I also love songs with clapping in them.)**

**91. Bulletproof (Fred Falke remix)- La Roux**  
Emily sloppy up in the club. Her fuck you dance jam. She doesn't need Naomi, and she is going to get super fucked up to prove it. **(Blondie: Haha! Oh Emily, I love how your go-to when things get rough is to get wasted and act out sexually. At least Effy didn't let her go home with anyone...besides herself.)**

**92. Hounds of Love- the Futureheads**  
Naomi and Cook talking about girls. This is a sort of blast from the past, if you count five years ago the past. I loved this song and album. This pick was tough because I couldn't have anything too mopey, especially musically. Once I got my head out of my ass, I remembered this song that was on every CD I gave anyone for about three months. I remember seeing this band at some fucked up movie theatre in San Diego when I was 18, god that was weird and awesome. Anyway, back to this, it's also convenient that the lyrics apply. **(Blondie: I really feel this song for Cook. I miss Cook. Maybe he should just move to London for some never-talked-about reason that we are all just supposed to accept and not wonder about. Like...why Gina took off for a year in S4, but not before moving them into an apartment with ugly wallpaper.)**

**93. Be Your Baby- Harlem**  
Naomi and Cook walk home/Naomi calls Emily. This is another song I've been waiting to use. I really can't pick a song that sounds sad for when Cook is around. Lyrically I think it works for them as well, because they really are putting each other through so much shit. **(Blondie: If it were only that simple...)**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hello! I've got a bit more date night fun for you all. I had to get this posted today, because I will be...enjoying myself...tomorrow night at the Major Lazer show. I missed them at Coachella, so this will be my first ML experience. I can't wait!**

**Other than that, not much else is going on this weekend...perhaps just recovering from Friday night's debauchery. ;) **

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Chapter 23

It was Emily's favorite time of day, or more appropriately put, her favorite time of night. It was well past evening and any warmth from the daylight hours had been exhausted. The air was cool and crisp and there was a feeling of calm that made Emily's shoulders relax a little bit more than the red wine at dinner had.

The street lamps were illuminating the dark sky and casting shadows on everything within their path, and the light from the sun had fully dissipated from the atmosphere. There were people on the streets and in cars and on buses who were now on their way out, just starting their night, instead of on their way home, putting an end to their day. Emily preferred this time; there was an excitement that the night held that she could never find when the sun was shining.

Emily glanced over and found Naomi looking back at her as they came to stand in front of a well worn wooden door. Their walk from the restaurant had been effortless; Naomi leading the way as if she had lived there her whole life, which made Emily suspect that the blonde had put _way_ more thought and preparation into this date than she was letting on.

Of course Naomi had! Their date was planned by the girl who had once given her a week-by-week, day-by-day, and, at times, hour-by-hour itinerary of the trip to Cyprus she was planning for her upcoming summer vacation.

Emily grinned at the memory of that first night with Naomi, after they had left the club, and it was finally quiet enough to just talk to each other without having to shout over the music. The conversation had flowed freely and Naomi had told her all about Cyprus after Emily had mentioned a summer internship that she had applied for.

Emily was about to ask Naomi if she had decided between the walking tour or the bike tour for her trip, but stopped herself, because what would be the point? She doubted that Naomi would remember ever having discussed Cyprus with her and she'd rather not see that look of confusion on the blonde's face as she tried to explain once again that they had talked about it on the night they met. Emily wondered whether or not she'd get the same reply if she asked again as if it was the first time.

"After you." Naomi held open the door for Emily who smiled as she made her way inside. She released her grip on Naomi's arm and felt the smooth material of her coat slide under her fingers until her hand reach Naomi's. It wasn't something that Emily would have ever done with any of the other girls she had gone out with, but having Naomi's hand in hers as they entered the bar was something that Emily wanted everyone to see and pay attention to. Tonight, the redhead was taken and not looking to keep her options open. She felt Naomi squeeze her hand as the door shut behind them.

It took a few seconds for Emily's eyes to adjust to their dimly lit surroundings. She glanced around the room and it was clear that they were in a bar, a very swanky bar at that. Straight away, she noticed the floor, which was made up of wooden planks that had black stenciling scattered about on them. It was too dark to make out what they were, but to Emily it looked like logos and lettering of some kind.

"They're barrels." Naomi offered the answer to Emily's unspoken question.

"What?" Emily looked up at the smiling blonde.

"The floors are made from old whiskey barrels. See?" Naomi pointed at the floor and upon closer inspection, Emily saw what was left of a Jack Daniel's stamp embedded in one of the floor boards.

"So you've brought me to a bar made of whiskey barrels?"

"Actually, I've brought you to a _whiskey _bar made of whiskey barrels." Naomi gestured over to the bar that stretched along the far wall.

Emily turned around, her eyes growing wide. The entire wall behind the bar was filled with hundreds of bottles in all shapes and sizes and colors, back-lit to create a gorgeous display of distilled delights. "Wow." It wasn't the most eloquent of words, but it was the only one that Emily could think of as her eyes scanned her new favorite drinking hole.

"Please tell me that you aren't _completely_ brand-loyal." Naomi ushered her over to the bar where two stools sat empty, even though the room was full and every other table and seat was occupied leaving the unlucky standing about. "I know that you've got your favorite, but I was hoping you'd be open to trying something new tonight. May I take your coat?"

Emily laughed a bit and let Naomi take her coat and hang it on the hook underneath the bar. When Naomi pulled out the stool for her, she bit her bottom lip and locked eyes with the blonde. "You realize that you are the most well-mannered person I've ever met, right?" Emily used the footrest of the bar stool to get up into her seat.

Naomi smirked, because she loved how small the redhead was and Emily just couldn't get any cuter. "Don't get used to it." Naomi shrugged off her jacket, hung it next to Emily's, and took her seat. "It's all a show. Once we've been dating for a few weeks, I'll drop the facade and you'll see what a cow I really am."

Emily's eyes went wide upon hearing the _dating for a few weeks_ part, but a smile spread across her face and she felt her heart swell in her chest. She expected Naomi to instantly backtrack or see her embarrassment show on her cheeks, but neither one happened. "I'd quite like to see that. Although, I highly doubt that you are anything but lovely all the time."

"Ah, the brainwashing is working then. Good." Naomi gave the redhead beside her a wink as the bartender placed menus on the bar in front of them.

"Good evening, Ladies. My name is Graham and I'll be your bartender. Our menu is divided by type and region. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have and make recommendations. I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu and I'll be back to take your orders." Graham made a move to walk away, but stopped. "Also..." He placed both hands on the bar and leaned in, staring down at the girls, his voice changing from cheerful to psychotic. "If either one of you orders a Jack and Coke, you'll both be thrown out of the bar."

Emily and Naomi glanced at each other and then back to Graham.

"Just kidding!" Graham pushed himself off the bar with a smile. "I make the best Jack and Cokes in London. Order what you want! I'll be back in two shakes." And with that, he left to tend to other patrons.

"He seems fun." Naomi flipped open her menu and began reading.

Emily opened hers as well, flipping through the first page, the second, page, the third page, the fourth page...she looked around to see if anyone else was reacting to the expansive menu. She looked over at Naomi who seemed completely at ease. "Naomi?"

"Hmm?"

"There are like, a thousand whiskies on this menu. How are we supposed to choose one?"

Naomi slammed her menu shut and pushing it away from her. She turned to face Emily. "Thank God I'm not the only one totally lost!"

They laughed and Emily slid her menu between them, scooting her stool closer to the blonde's. "Alright. We can do this." She looked back at the menu as did Naomi. She turned a page and studied the long list. Naomi couldn't see very well and used the excuse to lean in closer to the redhead as she pulled her bar stool closer as well.

Emily felt a warm hand on her back and looked over at her date. Naomi kept her eyes trained on the menu as she lightly brushed the skin of Emily's shoulder blade with her fingertips.

"This one looks good." Naomi used her right hand to point to the page.

Emily kept her eyes on Naomi. "Yeah it does."

* * *

"Whadaya think, Ems? Do you like this better or not as better than the last one?"

Emily tried to hold back a laugh. "Not as better?"

Naomi made a frown-y face. "That came out wrong, didn't it?" She sat upright and moved her eyes from side to side. "I think I'm drunk."

"Well, what do you expect? You hardly ate anything at dinner."

Naomi was about to respond with _And whose fault is that?_, but saw the cheeky gleam in Emily's eyes. She was messing with her. Naomi liked that.

It had been somewhere around two hours since they arrived at the bar and Graham had been most helpful when it finally came down to placing their orders. They started with the house cocktail, an Old Fashioned, and had downed those with ease. Naomi had ordered another round when Emily excused herself to visit the ladies room and upon her return, Emily had made a joke about Naomi _trying to get her drunk_.

After those drinks were finished, Naomi suggested that they do a tasting and since Emily already knew that she liked Jack Daniel's, they decided to stick with the American whiskies. Graham put together a flight of his favorites and advised them to sip slowly and enjoy the flavors, which they did for the first glass, and the second glass, and even the third glass, but once that fourth selection reached their lips, it had all started tasting a bit like water.

"Here. Let me see." Emily took the glass out of Naomi's hand and took a sip. She then took a sip from her own glass. "Hmm...the last one is smoother and kind of has a nutty taste. This one kind of hits me in the back of the throat a bit...kind of more burn-y."

"Well, there you have it then. Burn-y out, nutty in."

"I never said I didn't like the burn." Emily gave Naomi a grin.

Naomi lifted her arm from where it had been resting on the back of Emily's bar stool. Without any hesitation, she let her fingers trace lightly over Emily's bare shoulder and then down her upper arm to her forearm and then back up again. She was probably just imagining it, but she was convinced that she could feel a difference between where Emily's half-sleeve started and ended and where her un-inked skin began. "I suppose I should have known that you wouldn't discount something just because it hurt a little."

Emily licked her lips and let herself enjoy the feeling of Naomi's hand on her skin. She loved that Naomi was becoming more bold with her touches. She needed to let Naomi to know that she could touch her anywhere she wanted. "Naomi?"

Naomi turned to face Emily as Emily was turning to face her. They had brought their bar stools so close together that the only place for Naomi's legs to go were on either side of Emily's, which were crossed at the knee. Naomi glanced down at the hem of her green dress, which rested loosely over the milky skin of Emily's thighs.

Naomi's mouth was dry and she licked her lips. It was hard for her to tear her eyes away from Emily's legs; it would have been difficult on any day, but when they were _that _close and when they looked that sexy between her own and with the amount of whiskey in her system, it took a bit more determination. "Yes?" She finally brought her blue eyes up to meet Emily's dark brown ones.

Emily placed her hands on Naomi's knees, palms flat, and held her stare. Her lips parted as if she was about to speak, but instead she slowly ran her hands up the length of Naomi's thighs, making sure to watch as the beautiful blonde's eyes widened and mouth opened slightly.

The air in the room was suddenly depleted and Naomi found herself struggling to take in breath. Emily's hands were on her, moving torturously slow; no one had ever touched her like this before, not ever and definitely not while sitting at a bar in front of a room full of people. Naomi was surprised to find that she didn't care whether anyone saw them, saw Emily's hands on her; what bothered her was that Emily was doing this on purpose and Naomi wouldn't be able to act on the way her body wanted to respond.

Naomi held her gaze for as long as she could, daring Emily to push her further, but when Emily's hands stopped just before reaching her hip bones, she had to let them close as she felt Emily's fingernails rake back down over the material of Naomi's trousers.

She hadn't expected the jolt of electricity to hit her as hard as it did and her skin erupted with a thousand tiny tingles all over her body. She opened her eyes at exactly the right moment and saw the redhead slowly bring her hands back to her lap, purposely letting her finger catch on the hem of her dress and pull it up to about mid-thigh.

"I just wanted to see if you were ready to go." Emily smiled sweetly.

* * *

The check was paid, the coats were gathered, and they were sitting in the back of a taxi within minutes. Fuck walking back to Emily's. There was an urgency surrounding their actions as Emily gave the driver her address and took Naomi's hand in hers. "Are you sure you don't want to stay out and have another drink somewhere?" Emily tried to keep it light and casual, but with a question as loaded as that one was, she couldn't help but sound a bit nervous.

Naomi scoffed and brought Emily's hand up to her lips. She kissed her knuckles gently and Emily could feel her smile against her skin. "Emily?"

"Yes?"

Naomi spoke slowly like she was choosing her words carefully. "I've had enough to drink for one evening."

"Yeah, me too."

* * *

**The floor boards made out of whiskey barrels is a real thing. I saw it on the internets a few months back. There is no way I could make that shit up! **

**Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day to read Ink and leave a review if you'd like. And remember: Guns don't kill people, lazers do!**


	24. Chapter 24

**OOPS!: So...the other day, I moved SD Vol. 1 to the end of Ch. 10 so all my chapters would be numbered correctly. This totally worked for the chapters, however, the reviews did not renumber themselves as I had hoped. So, if you're getting that "Hey, you already reviewed Ch. 24" message...that's why. Apologies all around. You can sign out and leave an anonymous review if you want to make me feel better about fucking it all up. :)**

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**A/N: So…I'm not going to lie; a fellow FF author told me to "pull my finger out and write my story." Was I offended by such vulgarity? No. Did I pretend to be when the message was delivered to me by a third party? No. I loved it and it worked! Thanks Mum-Rider; you're a peach.**

**I had to get this chapter up regardless, because my lady and me are off to San Diego tomorrow for the birthday of a very special lady. How special is this lady, you ask? Well, let's just say she uses words like hunnylicious and she's not joking around.**

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Chapter 24

The taxi ride back to Emily's flat was filled with easy conversation and some pretty intense hand holding. Perhaps hand holding wasn't the best way to describe it, hand touching, hand feeling, hand groping? Regardless, Naomi had been the one who reached over and gently took Emily's hand in hers; she wasn't shy about it or the least bit hesitant and the redhead was more than happy to see this side of her. It had started out as just the holding of hands, but soon became a fight for as much contact as possible.

As they talked, their hands never stopped moving, fingers intertwined, soft skin slid across soft skin, fingertips stroked over knuckles and life lines, flexing and gripping playfully and sensually with one another's. It was a completely new experience for the blonde and she would have thought she was alone on that front, but she would have been wrong. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as her eyes fell upon Emily's index finger tracing a heart over her palm.

"Did you have a good time tonight, Emily?" Naomi watched as Emily's deep brown eyes flashed up to meet hers.

"Yes. I really did, Naoms. You planned the perfect first date." Emily smiled widely and placed her hand flat against the blonde's; she couldn't help but notice the difference in the length of their fingers.

Naomi saw her looking; she loved how small Emily's hand was next to hers. She felt a heat spread across her cheeks as she laced their fingers together and brought them to her lips. "I couldn't agree more." She kissed the back of Emily's hand and gave her a wink.

The redhead couldn't help but smirk. "Of course, our second date is going to be loads better."

"Is it, then? Do tell." Naomi lowered their joined hands and let them rest on the top of her thigh, her other hand entering the mix eagerly.

"Well, for one thing, I'm not going to make you wait for two weeks before I ask you."

A guilty grin appeared on Naomi's face. "No?"

"No." Emily shook her head as she moved closer to Naomi. "And since I will be the one to ask you, I will also get to plan what we do."

Naomi held her bottom lip between her teeth as Emily slid even closer to her across the back seat, leaving no room between them. The blonde glanced up at the driver who wasn't paying attention, or was doing a fabulous job of pretending not to pay attention, to what was happening behind him. Naomi made a mental note to give him an extra tip just for keeping his eyes off the review mirror. "And what is it that you want to do, Emily?"

Emily's eyebrow arched as her mind rotated through a montage of possibilities ranging from the most innocent to the most explicit, but she didn't get a chance to answer as the taxi came to a stop in front of the tattoo parlor.

"Here we are, girls." The driver put the taxi in park and turned around in his seat. Emily opened her door and gracefully exited the vehicle as Naomi pulled out some bills to pay the fare. She looked up just in time to see the driver's eyes all over Emily's backside, leering appreciatively. He muttered, "Nice one," under his breath.

Naomi plucked a five-pound note from what she was going to give the driver, making a show of it, and handed him the rest. That wiped the grin right off his face. Naomi slid across the seat and climbed out, shutting the door behind her.

Emily was standing in front of the door that led up to her flat; she looked beautiful, as always, framed by the outline of it. The light from the street lamps made her hair flame red and Naomi wondered if she could find the right words to tell Emily how radiant she looked without sounding like a twat.

Naomi stepped towards her and stopped just before she got too close. If she was being honest, she didn't think that she would ever be able to get close enough, but she couldn't think about that right now. This was it; the end of their date when Emily would thank Naomi for a lovely evening and they'd make plans to see each other again. And if she were feeling brave enough, which she most definitely was, she would lean in and kiss those soft lips that she had wanted a taste of all night.

Apparently, Naomi hadn't realized how caught up in her own head she was as she just stood there looking at Emily, thinking of Emily, but saying nothing to Emily.

"So..." Emily clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels. She looked slightly nervous or maybe just felt awkward because Naomi was just staring at her mutely. "This was fun."

"Yes. Sorry." Naomi shook her head and rubbed the back of her neck. "I had about ten thousand thoughts running through my head and they all wanted attention at the same time."

"Really?" Emily took one step towards the blonde. "I've only got one thing on my mind."

Naomi could feel her cheeks getting red and suddenly her heart felt like it was beating double-time. She tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. Emily was going to make this really easy and for that, Naomi was grateful. A smile played across her lips and she leaned in slowly, her eyes focusing on Emily's mouth.

Naomi felt small hands on her shoulders and she was suddenly no longer leaning in. _Oh God, I'm doing it wrong._ Panic hit her with a mighty force and she pulled back instantly.

Emily kept a grip on her shoulders not wanting the message to be misinterpreted. She cleared her throat and flicked her eyes toward the street. Naomi frowned in confusion so Emily did it again, exaggerating the movement.

Naomi followed the line of her eyes and threw a look over her right shoulder. _Fucking hell_. The taxi they had just gotten out of hadn't moved, the driver leaning out the passenger side window with his tongue hanging out like a dog.

Naomi turned around. "Yes? Can I help you with something?" There was more than a hint of annoyance in her voice.

The driver just grinned at her like the creeper that he was and said, "No. This is quite the show and you are delicious young women." He wagged his eyebrows and glanced back and forth between the two of them.

"Yeah? So go fuck yourself. Tosser." Naomi gave him her best scowl.

Emily let a small smile escape from her lips as Naomi turned back around to face her.

"Fucking perv." Naomi shoved her hands into her coat pockets and positioned herself so that her body was completely blocking Emily from the taxi driver's sight.

Emily wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around Naomi's neck and kiss her senseless, but that would have just make the show even better for their unwanted observer. Instead, she grabbed her keys from her jacket pocket and unlocked the door they were standing in front of.

Once it was unlocked, Naomi reached over Emily's head and pulled it open, letting Emily enter first. The redhead didn't see it, but there was a slight hesitation before Naomi followed her inside. Just before the door shut behind them, they heard the taxi drive away and watched as all the light from the street disappeared and they were left in the dark.

"Shouldn't this stairwell have a light or something?" Naomi blinked a few times in an effort to adjust to the darkness surrounding them.

Emily's voice sounded louder than expected. "I guess the bulb went out."

A shiver ran down Naomi's spine; Emily was standing very close to her.

"I can fix that for you, if you'd like. Probably shouldn't be climbing on ladders at the moment though."

That did it. The cute Italian restaurant with the drippy candles and the checkered tablecloths, and the bar with its whiskey barrel floors, and the hand holding in the taxi that was way more than just hand hold, and the telling-off of the taxi driver for perving on them, and now this, made the last shred of restraint that Emily held crumble. Her eyes had adjusted just enough to be able to see the outline of Naomi's face so she leaned in and captured her lips in a gentle kiss.

Emily waited for Naomi to return the kiss before parting her lips and letting them melt against the blonde's. She didn't ever want to push too hard again or make Naomi feel pressured into something she wasn't ready for. With most girls, she'd be undressing them by now. Instead, she slowly brought her hands up and placed them on the taller girl's cheeks as Naomi's hands found their way to Emily's waist.

Emily broke the kiss just as gently as she had started it. "I had a really lovely time tonight."

It was exactly what Naomi had expected to hear, but she couldn't help but feel slightly rejected. Emily was saying good night and not inviting her upstairs. "Yeah, me too." She tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Emily moved her hands from Naomi's face and wrapped them around her neck, letting her fingers tangle in her hair.

"No plans really. Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to make sure you'll have time for breakfast."

There was only a split second for Naomi to process what Emily had just implied before her lips were covered by Emily's hot breath and they were kissing once again. Naomi tightened her grip and pulled Emily's small body into hers. She wanted all of the redhead pressed against her not only her lips, maybe then the rest of her body could understand how lucky her mouth had been up to this point.

Emily pulled harder on the back of Naomi's neck to match the blonde's actions, but she didn't take it any further. She was determined to let Naomi pick the pace. She let out a tiny whimper when Naomi's tongue pushed past her lips and deepened their kiss in response.

She opened her mouth wider to let Naomi in and it felt like she was falling. When her back made contact with the wall and she felt Naomi's body pressed that much harder against her own, she knew that she wasn't wrong.

Their kissing became more desperate then and Emily lost track of whether Naomi had made the last move and whether she had matched it yet or not. She got her answer when she felt Naomi's fingers rake through her hair at the nape of her neck and take a firm hold of it with a balled fist, the force pulling her head back and to the side, Naomi's lips leaving hers suddenly and finding her exposed neck.

"Fuck." Emily's voice was low and throaty. Her hands clamped down hard on Naomi's shoulders; her knees had gone weak and she had to steady herself. It only made Naomi work her lips and tongue with more hunger against her salty skin.

"Yes." They were both breathing fast, but Emily was panting now. She needed Naomi's mouth back on hers immediately and since Naomi had instigated the hair pulling, she felt completely justified in returning the favor.

Naomi let out a surprised yelp as she felt Emily's hands tangle in her hair and pull her lips away from the hot, wet skins she had been devouring. She didn't have time to complain; Emily kissed her hard and bit down on her bottom lip like she was starving.

Naomi kissed her back with added fervor and upped the ante by grabbing the collar of her long black coat and pushing it back off her shoulders. Emily found strength in her knees once again and stood up from the wall, letting Naomi finish the job. Her coat dropped to the floor with a soft thud. They were both left gasping for air.

"Would you like to come upstairs?" Emily grinned against Naomi's parted lips, her hand pressing against the bare skin of the blonde's chest to keep her at bay long enough to ask the question.

"Yes." Naomi didn't think about her answer. She didn't ponder its meaning or the intentions behind the question. She just answered truthfully. She wanted to go upstairs with Emily. She wanted to get out of that dark, dingy stairwell and into Emily's warm flat. Anything that went further than that, she would figure out when they got there.

Emily crouched down and picked up her coat, Naomi taking a step back to allow her to. She draped the coat over her arm and took the blonde's hand with her free one. "Come on then." Emily took two steps in what Naomi assumed was the direction of the stairs and without warning, the entire room was flooded with light.

Naomi blinked rapidly to combat the sudden brightness and squinted at Emily who now stood next to a conveniently placed light switch.

"Huh. I guess it wasn't burned out after all." Emily proceeded up the stairs pulling a very amused blonde behind her.

"Do you use that trick on all the other girls too?" It was a stupid thing to say and Naomi wanted to take it back instantly.

Emily whipped around to face Naomi, a frown clouding her face.

Before she could speak, Naomi tried to fix things. "That was meant to be a joke. I'm sorry. I didn't-"

Naomi was cut off by Emily's lips on hers. She let Emily kiss her slowly and tenderly, her lips linger a second longer before pulling away.

"Those other girls never got past the door." Emily placed her palm on Naomi's cheek, her dark brown eyes locking onto her clear blue ones, holding them there until she acknowledged what that meant. "Okay?"

Naomi nodded and let her eyes close, she pressed her cheek against Emily's hand. She opened them again when she felt Emily continue up the stairs.

"Now, I can only imagine what kind of filthy thoughts are floating around in that big brain of yours right now..." Emily reached the top step and got her keys out of the pocket of her coat. "...but this is our _first date_..." She unlocked her door and opened it, turning to face Naomi who was now standing beside her. "...and I am a lady."

And with that, Emily sauntered into her flat, leaving Naomi to breathe a sigh of relief as she followed her inside and closed the door.

* * *

**One of the things I love the most about Emily is that she always protects Naomi. Whether she's pretending that "it's just the drugs" or asking Cook if he "could be a cunt over there" or by simply holding hands through a cat flap, Ems always makes sure that Naoms travels at her own pace. **

**If you enjoyed the latest installment of Ink, which covered another whopping 5 minutes of story-time, please do leave a review. They make me feel so good.**

* * *

**And here are a few more tasty nuggets for your ears from Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches.**

**http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 17**

**94. Don't Fucking Tell Me What to Do- Robyn**  
Emily wakes up. So, this song is amazing, obviously. This song made me a proper Robyn fan. I liked the idea of Robyn before this song/album but I wasn't much of a proper fan. I was enough of a fan to go the record store and get this album the day it came out, but I wasn't a huge fan. Ten seconds into this song, I was sold. I was "call people and tell them to buy this album, okay I'll just give them the album" sold. Now, for Emily, this is a good hangover song. It's not exactly subtle but when have I ever been subtle? I think Emily can relate to more than just the fact that her drinking is killing her. **(Blondie: I can't even put into words how much I love this song. You know how much I love it, so...enough said.)**

**95. This Will Be Our Year- the Zombies**  
Naomi at Gina's. My house is rarely quiet. It makes me uncomfortable. I imagine that Gina's house is the same; it's rarely quiet. This song is brilliant and a bit personal for me. I first came upon this song in 2004. I was in my first year of college and had my shitty little radio show that I was obsessed with, but more importantly the Red Sox were on their way to win the World Series for the first time in 86 years. I don't need to get into my love of the Red Sox, you know how I feel about them. Anyway, I played this song during every show I did in the month of October and halfway through November and each time I would talk about my team. So, this is my little love song for the Red Sox (and I know how weird and creepy that is). And it's another song from the 1960s for you, this album came out in '68. **(Blondie: Gina would totally play The Zombies in her house! Or perhaps Kerian has this on vinyl.)**

**96. I Wanna Be Taken- Raveonettes**  
Effy and Emily at Effy's. I have this CD in my car labeled "rock music" which is a bit more vague than the "rap and musicals" CD I also have in my car. Anyway, the "rock music" CD is pretty much a Raveonettes CD. I was stuck in traffic one day thinking about your story and popped in the CD hoping for inspiration the strike, and fuck me, it sort of did. This song came on, and it seemed like such an Effy song. It's a fairly hard charging song, but is also so quiet about it. But the thing about this song and the band that screamed Effy for me was the caviler vulgarity. This song includes lines like "I want you to slap me and watch me cum." But it's said like, ain't no thang. **(Blondie: I can imagine Emily getting ready to play hookie to this song with Effy just sitting there texting.)**

**97. Real Desire- Dan Auerbach**  
Cook and Naomi in the park. I think the most surprising love of mine, musically, is blues rock. It's dirty and kind of grimey and just sounds like it was recorded in a sweaty room, but in the best way. So, for these kids, it's cool and it suits them. That's all I got. **(Blondie: Totally works!)**

**98. I Write Summer Songs for No Reason- Acid House Kings**  
Emily and Effy at the cafe. This song is just so cute. And this is a rather ignored band. The entire album is worth a listen. **(Blondie: So lovely and sweet, great music for the cafe.)**

**99. Heartbeats- the Knife**  
Emily and Naomi outside the shop. The song selection for this bit was super tough. I had the next song picked already so I needed a good transition song. I hope this works okay, and it's not too creepy. **(Blondie: Creepy? This song is super sexy! I love this song like fierce, you know?)**

**ONE HUNDRED. Sexy Bitch- David Guetta Featuring Akon**  
Sexy time! This song starts the second the door is closed. A lot of the songs I've picked thus far have been smarty pants nerd stuff and this isn't. This is like the ultimate club song, and that makes it perfect for this. My not so guilty pleasure is clubs, night clubs. I love them and this scene needs a bit of a club feel. Clubs are all about reacting and feeling (the lights, drinks, music, people are all there to prevent you from thinking). That's exactly what this bit is about, until Naomi starts thinking again. And it's pick #100. **(Blondie: And...it's my favorite song of 2009...and Naomi, in a moment of complete cheese, called Emily a Sexy Fitch! What could be more perfect than this?)**

**101. Providence- the Love Language**  
Cook and Naomi, Effy and Emily and so on. I'm gonna be super fucking real with you. I love this song, I've listened to it 100s of times, and I have no idea what's being said. It sounds hopeful or something though, right? **(Blondie: Yeah...once the chorus hit...I lost what was being sang. But yes, it does feel hopeful and it's got that bad-ass drum-fill thrown in there for good measure.)**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: This might sound ridiculous, but I am literally finishing up this chapter and writing this note as my lady and I are driving into Vegas. Very soon, I will be poolside with a drink in my hand and the sun on my skin. Wish me luck once we get to the casino! ;) All winnings will be put towards buying you all a drink.**

**Thank you all for being the best reviewers on FF and for not yelling at me too much for my disappearance over the last few weeks. This chapter is for all of you and for a lovely lady who is 30 minutes outside of London by train.**

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Chapter 25

The door clicked shut behind Naomi as she watched Emily hang her jacket on the rack, even in heels she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach the hook. Naomi couldn't help but crack a smile as she took off her own coat, easily hanging it next to Emily's.

"Do you want tea or something?" Emily gave Naomi a quick glance and crossed over to the kitchen as if they hadn't just been making out in the dark, pressed up against each other with their hands gripping onto hot skin.

Naomi blinked a few times when she noticed that Emily was staring back at her from behind the counter, waiting for a reply. "Uh, yeah. Tea. Fine. Thank you." Naomi had to stop letting her mind wander off like that, but she was finding it harder and harder to stay focused when all she could think about was the next time Emily's lips would be on hers. She decided that standing in the middle of the living room like a lump would only make it more difficult. "I'll help." She needed to be closer.

Emily flicked on the kettle as Naomi approached her in the kitchen, her dark brown eyes flitting from the blonde's eyes to her lips to her cleavage and back again. Naomi wasn't the only one whose mind was unable to remain on track. Emily licked her lips as the space between them became less and less. "You don't have to help...if you don't want to." Emily's dark brown eyes were searching the bright blue ones in front of her.

Naomi took another step towards the redhead and let her eyes take in all there was to see. At this point, she didn't see a reason to hide it. "I want to."

Naomi reached out to take hold of Emily's thin waist, but just as her hands made contact with her silky dress, Emily turned her back on Naomi and opened the top cupboard. "If you wouldn't mind grabbing some mugs then." She pressed her back against Naomi and placed her hands on the counter top.

Naomi's eyes closed as she felt Emily's body on hers again, her hands lightly traveling up Emily's sides, across her ribcage, to her shoulders. Naomi had to watch as her fingertips grazed over Emily's vibrant half-sleeve tattoo. It fascinated her and she knew that she'd never grow tired of gazing at it. She noticed something different about it each time she had the chance to really study it without feeling self-conscious.

She wanted to know all about it, why Emily had picked it, what it meant, if it was a real place or just imagined. She wanted Emily to tell her everything; she thought that perhaps, maybe, Emily already had. Naomi was sure there were loads of things that they had discussed on that night they met, things that she couldn't remember. It was what stopped her from asking, hoping that what she craved to know about the redhead would just come up in conversation on its own.

Naomi's long fingers made their way down the rest of Emily's arms and found the backs of her hands, their fingers lacing together as the kettle started to make a low rumbling sound next to them. "Weren't you supposed to be using your height advantage to get us some mugs?" Emily tilted her head back and to the side to look up into Naomi's eyes.

"I do recall that request being made, however…." Naomi wrapped both sets of arms around Emily's tiny frame and leaned in closer to the smaller girl's ear. "I got distracted." Emily grinned and Naomi placed a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder. Naomi untangled her right hand and reached into the cupboard, placing two bright yellow mugs in front of them.

The kettle had reached its boiling point and started on with its high-pitched whistle. Emily wiggled her left hand free and turned off the burner. She grabbed the box of tea bags from its place next to the stove and proceeded to flip open the top, one-handed, and place a bag in each cup.

Naomi reached for the sugar bowl, which was almost out of reach, but managed to grab it without having to disrupt their embrace. If she weren't so completely entranced by the feeling of Emily's backside against her frontside, Naomi would have thought the entire scene was outrageously counterproductive.

As Emily slowly poured the boiling water into the first cup, Naomi scooped out a heaping spoon full of sugar and held it at the ready. "How many for you, Ems?"

"None for me, thanks." She filled up the second cup. "But I know you'll more than make up for it with your four and a half." Emily smiled up at the blonde, but her smile was not returned.

Naomi was relieved when Emily turned away to place the kettle back on the burner. _She knows how I take my tea._ The blonde could feel that she had a strange look on her face and quickly replaced it with a forced smile. She let her arm fall away from Emily's waist as her cup was handed to her.

"It's really hot so give it a minute." Emily brought her mug up to her lips and blew on the top, making the steam drift towards Naomi. "Shall we sit?"

Naomi nodded and followed Emily to the couch. Emily sat down first, just past the middle cushion, an expectant smirk playing on her lips, and watched as Naomi sat down in the armchair next to the couch. Now it was the redhead who had a strange expression on her face.

Naomi who was concentrating intently on her cup of tea missed the look. Emily placed her mug on the coffee table and shook her head in disbelief just slightly as her smile returned. _So fucking adorable…and clueless._

Emily grabbed the remote and turned on her iPod dock. Before Naomi had arrived to pick her up, she had selected her recently complied playlist entitled _Blue_, wanting it ready for their return. There were clean sheets on the bed as well, but Emily wasn't going to get her hopes up, especially given the fact that Naomi had chosen to sit as far away from her as possible.

As the music filled the room, Emily took hold of her mug and settled back on the couch. She glanced over at Naomi, who was already looking at her and they exchanged tight smiles. A moment passed and they both took sips of their tea.

"Mind if I use the facilities?"

Emily's eyebrows shot up, but she quickly pulled them back down as she answered Naomi's question. "Of course, yeah. Just through that door, you know." Emily gestured towards the only other door in her flat that wasn't the front door or her bedroom door even though she knew that Naomi knew which one it was.

"Thanks." Naomi placed her tea on the table as she got up and crossed to the bathroom door. She let out a strangled breath as it closed behind her.

* * *

"Naomikins!"

"Cook. Cook. It's me. Listen." Naomi had her phone to her ear, her other hand covering her mouth and the receiver to muffle her whispered words. "I'm in the loo. We came back to Emily's."

"Top, man. Gettin' to it then, yeah?" Cook grinned widely.

"No. Just listen. I'm freaking out a bit."

"What? What's happened?" Cook's face showed his concern.

"Nothing. I mean, we kissed and now we're having tea, but she knew how many sugars and I can't remember telling her that and I can't just keep pretending that it's fine because it's not fine." Naomi tried to keep her voice low. She was glad that Cook had the night off, otherwise she'd be shouting over the noise of Keith's Pub.

"Whoa, whoa, Naomikins. Take a breath. Everything's gonna be alright, yeah?"

Naomi did as instructed and took a deep breath.

"Remember what I told you this afternoon? Number one. Just be cool."

Naomi exhaled and repeated after him. "Just be cool."

"Number two. Touch her."

"Cook! We don't need to go through this again. It's Emily." Naomi glanced over at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes locked onto the one thing that still surprised her every time she saw it. She slowly turned the phone away from her ear, the sound of Cook's voice becoming fainter as he said something about pupils and dilation.

Naomi lowered the phone from her ear, turning her wrist up so she could see it better. _My E._ She touched her tattoo with her fingertips.

"Naomi?" Cook's voice came through the phone and snapped Naomi out of her trance. "Naomi, you still there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Thanks. I'm good. Gotta go." Naomi ended the call and shoved her phone back into her pocket. She gave herself one last glance in the mirror and took a steadying breath.

* * *

Emily was flipping through her records when she heard the bathroom door open. She kept her eyes focused on the thin spins of the covers in front of her, not wanting to see the look on Naomi's face when the blonde inevitably made her excuses as to why she had to leave.

"I'm sorry, Emily."

Emily closed her eyes and held them shut for a few seconds before she opened them and turned to face Naomi. _Here it comes._

"But...how did you know that I take exactly four and a half spoons of sugar?" Naomi stood there, looking straight into Emily's eyes, finally asking her something she really wanted to and not being afraid of the answer.

Emily swallowed and blinked a few times before she found the words to answer Naomi's question. "We had tea, you and me, the night we met. We came back here after you got your tattoo and I...I guess the number just stuck because, really." Emily gave her a half smile and glanced down at Naomi's wrist, breaking their eye contact. It was hard to speak with Naomi looking at her so openly. Emily had forgotten how intense her blue eyes could be when they weren't being hidden.

"I had a suspicion that that might be the case." Naomi took a step closer to Emily. "It bothers me, not remembering, and I've been letting it bother me and I've been shying away from really talking to you and getting to know you, because I'm afraid to look foolish and make you repeat things that perhaps you've already told me. I'm still mortified about not knowing that you're in school." Naomi looked down at her hands.

Emily reached out and took them in her own. "That's just because Katie was such a bitch about it. I wouldn't have made you feel bad for not remembering."

"I know that." Naomi's eyes were on Emily's again. "I know you wouldn't and you haven't at all."

"Then why were you just in the loo on the phone with Cook in a panic over sugar?" The corner of Emily's mouth turned up into a smirk.

"So you heard that then?" Naomi scrunched up her face, while a smile fought its way across her lips.

"Just talk to me, Naomi. Just ask me things." Emily let go of the blonde's hands, reaching up to hold her face so she would be able to have her full attention. "I'd repeat myself a thousand times for you."

That was it. Naomi's lips came crashing into Emily's as she wrapped her arms around the redhead and pulled her in. With their bodies pressed tightly together, they kissed frantically, only parting their lips to take in gasps of air.

Naomi used her body to push Emily backwards, walking them towards the couch. She didn't stop until she felt Emily underneath her; it was so much fucking better with Emily underneath her. She moaned into Emily's mouth and kissed her harder.

Emily grabbed at Naomi's back, her fingertips digging into the material of her shirt. "Fuck." Emily let her head fall to the side as her neck was devoured by Naomi's wet mouth and tongue. "You feel so good." It was true and yet, Emily was fully aware of how much better it could feel.

With just one shift of the redhead's hips, Naomi's thigh dropped down in between Emily's. There wasn't enough willpower in the world to prevent her from grinding into Naomi just once, just to see if it felt as good as Emily had imagined it would. "Oh fuck." It felt so much better.

Thankfully, Naomi's overactive brain had suffered a complete meltdown when Emily moaned out that deep, raspy, sex-filled "Oh fuck" directly into her ear as she pushed herself against Naomi's thigh. It was for the best, really. Naomi had no intention of using her brain for the rest of the evening anyway.

Naomi kissed down Emily's neck to her collarbone then back up over her throat and jaw until their lips were reunited. She noticed that their kissing felt different now; Emily's lips were incredibly wet against hers and their breathing shallow. She pulled back to see Emily's face.

Her brown eyes were almost completely black and she was looking back at Naomi with absolute lust. Naomi wondered if she looked the same way; she hoped she did so Emily would know how much she wanted her. Cook was right, of course he was.

Feeling a bit brave, Naomi bit her bottom lip and pushed her hips into Emily. The reaction she got almost made her heart stop. Emily's eyes rolled back before she closed them tightly, biting her own lip to suppress a whimper. More than pleased by Emily's response, Naomi did it again. This time Emily let out a throaty moan that must have surprised her too, because her dark eyes shot open and her hands found Naomi's blonde hair, pulling her down to reconnect their lips and gasping out, "Kiss me," just as Naomi's mouth covered her own.

As they kissed, Naomi started a rhythm against Emily's body, mirroring the beat of the music playing over the speakers. The memory of Emily and her dancing together at the club flew through her mind and she increased the pressure.

Emily's hands left blonde hair and traveled down Naomi's back, landing on her hips, feeling them move in time. Her strong hands gripped onto them and pulled down as Emily lifted her knee slightly, making direct contact with Naomi's center. Now it was Naomi's turn to moan, as their bodies worked together.

Naomi loved the way Emily was pulling on her hips and forcefully pushing her tongue against her own. She felt a wave of heat wash over her body suddenly; she was wet and throbbing and about to lose control.

"Fuck." Naomi pulled away from Emily's lips, her eyes wide, almost pleading, as she bit her lip and slowed her movements.

"What?"

Naomi gulped and closed her eyes as she exhaled. "Nothing, I just need to catch my breath, I think."

Emily could feel Naomi's heart pounding wildly against her chest, her cheeks were flushed and her lips were red. She looked more beautiful than Emily had ever seen her. "Yeah, me too."

"…and a cold shower."

Emily let out a low chuckle. "Oh yeah?"

Naomi pushed herself up and off of Emily. She couldn't help but notice the way Emily's already short dress had ridden up and blushed when Emily caught her looking.

"See something you like?" Emily propped herself up on her elbows.

Naomi grinned. "Yes…very much."

* * *

**Yep, I am a tease. :) DEAL WITH IT!**

**We are expecting at least an eight hour drive home tomorrow…so we'll see what happens. I promise not to keep you all waiting for so long again. **

**The review button WILL work this time, so use it…please.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: If you only knew...I am anything but a tease. I give it up like, whoa. Just kidding... Thank you for all the reviews and excitement for the next chapter (this chapter). Your kind words made me want to get this posted quick. One week is quick, right? Better than 20+ days anyway.**

**Seriously, I'd like to thank my girlfriend; she is the inspiration for this chapter.**

**Enjoy it! I know I do…every day. **

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Chapter 26

"Naomi, can you come here a sec?"

Emily's voice sounded from behind her bedroom door. Naomi glanced up from one of Emily's textbooks that she had been flipping though. It was a welcomed interruption as Naomi had just stumbled upon a section entitled _Indications of Infection_ and it was fully illustrated. "Yeah, sure."

Naomi closed the book and put it back on the coffee table. She crossed over to Emily's door and knocked on it lightly before turning the knob and peering in. "You rang."

"Hey." Emily stood in front of her open wardrobe, her jewelry removed and shoes kicked off. She had gone to change out of her dress and "slip into something more comfortable" while adding that Naomi was not allowed to go home because it was already late and they had plans for breakfast anyway.

"I need you to get me out of this dress."

Naomi's eyes went wide.

"Not like _that_." Emily chuckled. "The zipper, it's one of those impossible ones that is perfectly unreachable."

Naomi smirked and crossed over to the redhead. She was much shorter now that she had taken her heels off; Naomi loved how small she was. "Hmm…and how exactly were you able to get into it then?"

"Effy zipped me up before you got here." Emily smirked back.

"Oh." The thought of Effy being any where near Emily while she was partially dressed wiped the look off her face.

"I could call her if it's too much trouble, although she also had a date tonight so she might not be too pleased."

Naomi was comforted by the knowledge that Effy was out on a date with someone; she wasn't sure why. "That won't be necessary."

Emily turned and swept her hair to the side. Naomi reached for the zipper; her hand was a bit shaky. She pulled it down slowly, the material of Emily's dress falling to each side revealing the pale skin of her back. Naomi caught a glimpse of tattoo on her shoulder blade; her pulse quickened. She couldn't see all of it, only a few words. She had never wanted to read something so badly in her life.

Emily turned back around, holding the front of the dress to her body. "Thanks."

Naomi swallowed and nodded her head. "Anytime."

They stood there looking at each other for a long moment. Naomi watched as one of the straps slid off Emily's shoulder. The redhead's mouth turned up at the corners and she looked down to where her hands were holding up her dress.

Naomi's eyes went wide. "Oh my God!" She spun on her heel and turned her back to Emily. "I'm sorry! I didn't, I'll go." She took a step towards the door.

"Stay."

Naomi's hand froze on the doorknob. She had heard Emily's request, but she didn't turn around. "Alright." Naomi tried to suppress her smile and bit her bottom lip.

Emily turned her body towards the wardrobe, but kept her eyes on the blonde. She wore a cheeky grin. "Don't look, okay?"

Naomi scoffed playfully. "Honey, your body ain't that special."

Emily grinned widely and looked away, her dress falling off her body and landing at her feet with an almost inaudible thud.

Blue eyes blinked rapidly as Naomi tried to calm her breathing and her steadily increasing heart beat. She heard a drawer slide open and then shut again and the rustling of fabric. She knew that she wasn't supposed to look, but she thought that perhaps a quick glance wouldn't be _looking_ really and maybe she'd be able to see the rest of what was tattooed on Emily's shoulder.

Keeping her eyes cast down, Naomi slowly turned her head. Emily's legs were bare; she had put on a tiny pair of black shorts but had not yet found a top. There was so much skin to look at; Naomi was definitely _looking_ now.

Emily grabbed a tank top from the top drawer and pulled it on over her head and down her torso. "Alright. You can turn-" Naomi's eyes were already on her as she turned to face the blonde. Naomi was caught red handed.

"I said don't look." Emily's voice was deeper than usual, but the way she said the words was still playful.

Naomi had a shy smile on her face. "I wanted to see the rest of what's on your shoulder."

Emily closed the distance between them. She wrapped her arms around Naomi's neck. "Then ask me."

Naomi looked into Emily's eyes. "May I see your tattoo?"

"Depends."

"Depends?" Naomi grabbed Emily's hips and pulled her body closer. Her lips found the redheads neck immediately.

Emily let her head fall to the side so Naomi could have full access. She couldn't remember a time, perhaps there had never been one, when gentle kisses had sent such intense shocks of electricity through her entire body. "Yeah. You have to agree to our second date first."

Naomi felt Emily's fingers play with the back of her hair and then grip tightly as Naomi located a particularly sensitive spot just below her ear. "You'll have to ask me first." Naomi attacked the spot again, this time with her tongue.

Emily's breath hitched and her hands clasped onto Naomi's shoulders. "Would you like to see me again?"

"What did you have in mind?" Naomi wasn't relenting on Emily's neck.

Emily's breathing was becoming ragged. "A tour." She felt Naomi smile against her skin. "I want to take you on a tour."

"When?"

"As soon as you say yes."

Naomi pulled away from Emily's neck and looked deep into her eyes. "Yes."

* * *

That was how it had started, their second date. Naomi had actually laughed when she asked Emily what kind of tour they were going to take and Emily had given her the answer. It could have been from nerves or maybe she had though that Emily was joking, but when the redhead had turned her back to Naomi and pulled the strap of her tank top off her right shoulder, Naomi knew that this was going to be the best tour of her life.

"These won't be in order."

Fuck the pyramids, fuck Stonehenge, fuck The Big Apple and The Great Wall. Naomi Campbell was about to see the most glorious sights on the planet...Emily Fitch's tattoos. She had no idea how many there would be or what they would be of, but she did know one thing, one very important fact...they were under Emily's clothes.

Naomi let her fingers trace over the words as she read them aloud. "And every lightning rod must watch the storm clouds come."

Emily bit her bottom lip and let her eyes close; her skin tingled from Naomi's touch. "I got it when I was sixteen. I had a fake ID, well, Katie had a fake ID, and back then we looked more alike, same hair and such, so I took it without her knowing."

"A rebel even then." Naomi ran her fingers across Emily's shoulder.

Emily scoffed. "You have no idea. My parents thought that I was spending the night at Effy's, which I was, but we sneaked out because she wanted to go see her _boyfriend_. He owned the shop back then. He was like thirty years old or something; I thought it was gross, but Effy liked him. I think she was more interested in learning about tattooing though. She told me that she never slept with him..." Emily shook the memory away and took a deep breath. "But, anyway, it's from a song I really love and at the time I was just starting to realize that I was gay and it made me feel like I didn't have to be afraid and that I could handle the inevitable shit storm that was on the way."

Naomi leaned down and pressed her lips to Emily's shoulder. "I'd love to hear the song someday."

Emily turned around; she had a bright smile on her face. "I'd love to play it for you." Emily stood on the tips of her toes and gave Naomi a soft kiss.

"So...you're the lightning rod then?" Naomi tried to hide her cheeky smile, but didn't get away with it.

Emily narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on Naomi's waist. With some gentle pressure, she directed Naomi backwards towards the bed as she said, "You'll have to find that out for yourself."

The backs of Naomi's knees made contact with the foot of the bed and she found herself sitting suddenly. Naomi swallowed, her heart racing, but it wasn't for the same reasons as last time.

Emily stood above her, staring down into her wide blue eyes. "Are you ready for the next stop, Ms. Campbell?" Naomi silently nodded her head and licked her lips. Emily took a step closer to the blonde, standing in between her legs. As much as Naomi loved that Emily was shorter than she was, she couldn't help but enjoy this perspective as well.

Emily played with the hem of her tank top. "I got a bit braver with this one." She pulled the material up and over the left side of her ribcage, her muscles flexing under skin and over bone. Green, gold, silver, black, a crest with three lionesses, a knight's helmet adorned with elaborate plumage cascading down both sides. "The Fitch Family Coat of Arms."

"So things went well then...after you told them you're gay?" Naomi spoke without taking her eyes off Emily's tattoo. She gripped the duvet with both hands to stop herself from reaching out to touch the powerful symbol that stretched across the redhead's pale side and chewed on her bottom lip to keep her mouth occupied.

"There was yelling and crying and loads of confusion and arguing, the worst of it was from Katie and my mum, but after about a month of me practically living at Effy's and refusing to talk to them, they realized they'd rather have me as their gay daughter than not at all." Emily reached down and picked up Naomi's right hand, placing it exactly where she knew the blonde wanted it to be. "This is a interactive tour, Naomi. Don't be shy."

Naomi didn't need any more encouragement. She let her fingers travel over every inch as she studied the shapes and patterns, the delicate lines that made up the feathers. "This must have been very painful."

"It hurt less than my mother kicking me out of our house."

"Christ."

"I think it was my acceptance letter from UCL that really mended things." Emily let her tank top fall back into place and wrapped her arms around Naomi's neck.

Naomi's hand didn't move and the actuality of it now being under Emily's shirt sent a rush of heat over Naomi's skin. "Actually, I didn't quite get enough time with this one."

"Oh no?"

"Not nearly." Naomi leaned forward while lifting Emily's top back up, her other hand resting on the redhead's hip. "I just wanted to see if this one tasted differently than the last."

A jolt of electricity coursed through Emily's body as Naomi's hot tongue ran the length of her side. Her hands found Naomi's hair and she tangled her fingers in it while pulling her in closer. Emily bit her bottom lip to prevent the wave of expletives that were trying to leave her mouth. When Naomi started working her way back down with her lips, teeth, and tongue, Emily gave up. "Oh fuck that feels good."

The words had only but left her lips when she was suddenly flipped onto the bed, her back hitting the cool material of the duvet. Naomi stood above her at the foot of the bed. They locked eyes, both girls breathing fast. Naomi's eyes scanned the length of Emily's body and she licked her lips.

"You might want to get a bit closer. The next one isn't quite as large scale as the last." Emily gave Naomi a warm smile, which she hoped would ease some of the anxiety she could feel emanating off the blonde.

Naomi crawled onto the bed, kicking her shoes off in the process, and laid down on her side next to Emily. Emily turned on her side to mirror her position, leaning on her elbow. With her right hand, she slowly pulled her top up until it was just underneath her breasts. "This is the most recent one. It's still healing."

Naomi reached out and gently ran her finger over the antique key that was tattooed there. The eye of the key was heart-shaped and the end with the teeth pointed to the left. It was a bit bumpy and scabbed over in a few places just like her own. She waited for Emily to speak, to tell her why she got it and what it stood for, but the redhead didn't make a sound.

Instead, Emily reached over and stroked her fingertips across Naomi's wrist, tracing the lines of the E tattooed there. She leaned in slowly, pushing Naomi onto her back, her body sliding against the firm flesh of the blonde beneath her. Naomi lifted her head to try to reach Emily's lips, but the redhead pulled back. "That one is only for me."

Naomi nodded as lips crashed into hers. Emily's tongue licked her bottom lip before biting it gently. She felt Emily's hands push against her shoulders as the redhead straddled her hips and sat up. "I have one more tattoo to show you besides my half-sleeve, which I'll tell you about last."

"Alright." Naomi smiled up at Emily and laced her fingers behind her head.

"The only catch is..." Emily grabbed the bottom of her tank top and pulled it up and off completely. Naomi's mouth fell open and her eyes went wide. "...you'll have to find it."

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***ducks and covers***

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**HMHDHB is awesome.**

**Go here and turn your ears on: ****http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 18  
**

**102. I Won't Say Anything- Hello Seashorse!**  
Naomi and Emily on the phone. This song is brought to you by a guest song picker. This one comes all the way from Mexico City via MonMonroy. I wanted to branch out a bit and I am not above asking for suggestions from someone with such lovely taste in music. So, I will let her explain the reason for the pick.

"I was listening to a song called Won't Say Anything by them (they sing both in Spanish and English) and it reminded me about the cute-awkward Naomily phone conversation on chapter 18, mostly because of the title and the line "I won't say anything if you don't say anything". Both Naomi and Emily are thinking they've ruined it but they won't say anything on the subject, instead they decide to go on a date, which I thought was quite funny."

I totally agree. The song is very cute and just works perfectly here.

**(Blondie: MonMonroy, you are spot on with this pick. When I listened to it for the first time, I made the comment that this could be the theme song for the entire story. Excellent choice!)**

**103. It Doesn't Have to be Beautiful- Slow Club**  
Effy and Emily reflecting on the past. This one is from Effy's perspective. There is a real bittersweet quality to this song, and all Slow Club songs. I don't know, I think if you listen to the song and think about the two of the girls, it fits. There seems to be more to their relationship (or at least their past) than either of them will acknowledge. I like the line of "I'm always thinkin' thinkin' 'bout where you are, who you're with and if your mind is far from what we do when we're alone." I really don't know how to describe it. It just feels right. What do you think? **(Blondie: This is a kick-ass song and I totally agree. The Emily/Effy relationship is quite the mystery, no?)**

**104. I Can Change- LCD Soundsystem**  
Naomi talking to Cook/Back at Gina's. This song just sort of follows Naomi around. True story, this album came out after your story started and the second I heard this song I thought of your story and your Naomi. I've been desperate to use this song the whole time and I just got a bit antsy. The reason it's here is, it feels like Naomi is trying to change for the better. She talks to Emily, asks her out even, and she's all right with Gina. I went through about five songs before I settled on this one. Some were just ridiculous. **(Blondie: Another very fitting song selection - How do you do it? - Naomi might not even know that she's changing. Emily's making it so fucking easy for her. This song is pretty rad and I think I'm ready to admit...that I was wrong...LCD Soundsystem is not a jam band...in fact...I really like them. There. Happy now?)**

**105. Windstorm- School of Seven Bells**  
Emily reading and writing texts at Tony's. I think the start is kind of perfect for walking into Tony's. It feels right for the type of music that would be playing in Tony's apartment. I am especially inarticulate right now. Sorry. **(Blondie: This song is good...I guess I am too.)**

**106. Vocal Chords- Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.**  
Naomi reads Emily's text. I am so happy this was available on youtube. This is a wonderful little band out of Michigan and if anyone likes this song, they should really get their EP, it's lovely. Anyway, for this scene this is from Naomi's perspective. It's just really cute and feels hopeful and it's just lovely. It's also super fun to sing along to. But really, it's a good Naomi song, right? RIGHT? **(Blondie: I agree whole-heartedly. Lovely and wonderful and just right.)**

**PS: Arsia was mentioned in this chapter and she didn't get a song pick...WTF? **


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: I have been dreading this since I posted the first chapter all those many months ago. Looks like Ink gets its M Rating today, kids. Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches...you have been warned. I'm going to go hide now. *shakes head at self* Christ.**

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Chapter 27

Emily's dark brown eyes were staring down into Naomi's shining blue ones as the air was sucked out of the room and Naomi was left struggling for breath. There was heat flooding all over Naomi's skin and an ache between her legs that she had never felt so intensely before. Her heart was pounding and she felt dizzy. Any levity that Naomi had been holding onto in an attempt to ease her nerves disappeared and The Emily Fitch Interactive Tattoo Tour became very, _very_ serious in that moment. Naomi gulped and licked her lips; she was actually salivating over the sight before her eyes.

_Emily's breasts, Emily's bare breasts, Emily's half-naked body, Emily's tattoos, Emily's arse pressing against me. _Naomi found it oddly refreshing that her brain function had been reduced from its normal warp-speed, non-stop processing of too many thoughts and feelings to a surprisingly reactive and simple see-want-touch method, _touch_ being the operative word. _Touch her. _Cook's words of wisdom never ceased to amaze.

Naomi tore her eyes way from Emily's perfectly shaped breasts and nipples, it took determination, but she did it, and looked up to find the redhead smiling down at her with adoration etched across her face. It wasn't a cheeky smile or a seductive smile or anything even close to the thousands of sexy smirks she had received since she had laid eyes on the redhead in the front room of that tattoo shop. This was a smile that spoke directly to Naomi's rapidly beating heart and made it expand painfully in her chest.

She slowly lifted her head and unlaced her fingers from behind it, letting her hands find Emily's hips. This was all new to Naomi; she was unsure of everything from this point on and Naomi Campbell _never_ got involved with anything unless she was completely and totally sure. But as her hands gentle traveled over the smooth, soft skin of Emily's sides and her eyes locked onto the most beautiful brown eyes she had ever seen, she stopped worrying. "You're gorgeous." It wasn't the only thing that the blonde truly wanted to say in that moment, but it would do for now.

She didn't think it was possible, but Emily's smile got bigger and a slight blush fell across her already flushed cheeks. "You make me feel like I am." Emily placed both of her hands on Naomi's stomach; her thumbs gently stroked the exposed skin right above the waist of Naomi's trousers. "No one has ever looked at me the way you do, Naomi." Emily slid her fingers between the buttons of Naomi's shirt. "It makes me a bit nervous, to be honest."

Naomi's eyes found Emily's again. The idea of Emily being nervous, straddling the blonde and slowly rocking her hips in a steady rhythm, was ridiculous. She looked down to see Emily's small fingers working her bottom shirt button open before slowly moving her hands up to find the next one. "Wasn't I supposed to be the one trying to uncover something of yours?" Naomi smiled and bit her lip.

Emily grinned and undid another button. "Yes, but I really don't think it's fair that I have on so few clothes and you have on so many." The last button on Naomi's shirt, the one that had been responsible for teasing Emily all evening with a view of the blonde's tantalizing cleavage, was released and Emily's eyes flashed with desire.

She grabbed both sides of Naomi's shirt and pulled her up into a sitting position. "Can I take this off?" Naomi nodded her approval. Emily pushed the fabric off the blonde's delicate shoulders and tugged at the cuffs of each sleeve until Naomi was left in only her royal blue bra. Emily let her eyes scan over her body before dipping her head down to met Naomi's lips with a firm, reassuring kiss.

Emily pulled away and wrapped her hands around the back of Naomi's neck. She carefully released the clasp on Naomi's necklace, placing it on the bedside table. Emily had never taken this much care with a girl before and the sudden intimacy of it all made a lump form in her throat. Most of the time it was rushed and frantic up against a wall of a back room or in a dark booth at a club, clothes were only removed upon necessity and if they got torn or if jewelry was broken in the process, then that was too bad. This felt so very different than all the times before. Even when another set of blue eyes had been staring back at her...it never felt like this.

When their lips met again, it was like they had both been deprived of oxygen and had only just realized there was nothing stopping them from taking in breath. It had been too long since they'd kissed, open-mouthed and wet tongues. Emily's fingers tangled in the back of Naomi's hair pulling her in as close as possible. Naomi increased her grip on Emily's hips, her thumbs pushing into the soft flesh on the inside of each bone.

"You're very close." Emily whispered breathlessly into the blonde's ear.

Naomi pulled back, a slightly shocked expression on her face that she was trying to keep neutral. "What?"

It took only a split second for Emily to realize what she had just said and what the blonde could possibly think she had meant. The redhead held back a laugh as she looked into Naomi's eyes. "My tattoo, the last one. Your thumb is pressing on it."

"Oh." Naomi looked down at her hands. The only thing between her thumbs and the final stop on the tour was the thin material of Emily's tiny pair of black shorts. The only question was, which thumb marked the spot? Naomi held her bottom lip between her teeth as she tried to make an educated guess. "Right here?" She squeezed the redhead's right side and looked up for confirmation. Emily shook her head.

Naomi softly stroked Emily's left hip. She received a nod as Emily's hands found her shoulders and started pushing her down on to her back. "Until you're ready to see it..." Emily trailed off as she leaned down to kiss Naomi's lips, it was hot and wanting, her hands slowly tracing along her collarbone, down further to the tops of her heaving breasts. She let her fingertips graze over hard nipples that were covered by only the silky fabric of Naomi's bra before covering her tits with both hands and sighing into Naomi's mouth as the blonde let out a deep moan.

Naomi placed both hands on Emily's back, palms flat, fingers flexed, and pulled her down the rest of the way, their bodies pressing flush against the other's, as Emily's legs stretched out alongside Naomi's. Their mouths connected with electricity and desire as lips and tongues moved languidly, much deeper than before.

Both girls exhaled with relief when Emily shifted her body slightly and found the space between Naomi's legs, the space that was throbbing and needed contact, with her firm thigh. Naomi felt Emily press herself down against the blonde's thigh and was amazed by the look on the redhead's face, lips parted, panting, eyes squeezed shut tightly as they began moving their hips together.

This was better than before, better than on Emily's couch. This time their skin was touching, Naomi could feel Emily's breasts pressing against hers and every inch of her exposed skin was on fire as it slid against Emily's. Without wanting to wait a second longer, Naomi knew what she had to do next.

Naomi's hands left Emily's back and found the non-existent space between their bodies. Emily broke their kiss and pulled back as she saw Naomi's long fingers working to undo the button of her trousers and pull down the zipper. Emily felt a blush spread over her cheeks; she hadn't wanted to move too quickly. She thought perhaps this was Naomi's first time with a girl and after being too aggressive last time... But this, this was more than enough of an invitation and the redhead was up on her knees, helping Naomi pull them down and off completely, with lightning sped.

Hungry brown eyes traveled over every inch of Naomi's long naked legs until resting upon a pair of silky knickers, royal blue, which Emily couldn't help but notice was the second half of a matching set. _She knew that I'd be undressing her tonight. _Emily gulped as she imagined Naomi getting ready for their date, thinking about this moment, thinking about Emily seeing her without her clothes. Emily licked her lips. _She wants me back._

Emily looked up to find Naomi's gorgeous blue eyes watching her. "Come here." Naomi's voice sounded deeper than it usually did. She reached out for Emily who took her hand, bringing it to her lips and placing a gentle kiss across her knuckles. The blonde pulled Emily down on top of her, their lips joining briefly before Emily attacked her neck with her mouth and tongue. Naomi ran her fingers through Emily's incredibly soft red hair and pulled her closer.

Emily had found her place again against Naomi's center and on top of her thigh and all the heat reignited instantly as Emily felt the firm body underneath her melt into the same rhythm they had started before. With less clothing between them, Emily could feel Naomi's wetness through her knickers as she rocked her hips into the redhead's soft thigh.

As they continued to devour each other through kisses, Naomi explored Emily's body with her hands, making sure to revisit every tattoo she could find and every other inch of skin as well. She let her fingers graze the sides of Emily's breasts, which sent electricity through her body and made Emily lift herself up slightly to give Naomi full access. She didn't hesitate to take Emily's breasts in her hands and caress them thoroughly, rubbing her hard nipples with her thumbs. Emily heard a breathy _yes_ escape from Naomi's lips.

Emily noticed that all movement from the blonde had all but stopped, except for her hands, and she looked down to see Naomi transfixed completely, her eyes wide and lips parted. In one quick motion, Emily straddled Naomi's waist, grabbed her hands, and pulled her up so that her mouth was within licking distance of Emily's tits. The redhead wrapped her fingers around the back of Naomi's neck and pulled her in.

Emily heard a muffled groan as her breasts were explored by Naomi's soft lips and tongue as she knotted her fingers in blonde hair. Naomi's hands grabbed onto her ass and pulled her closer. Both girls were gasping for air as Naomi held one of Emily's nipples between her teeth, sucking and licking, making the redhead moan.

Naomi's bra was the next item to be removed and she welcomed the retaliation she received from Emily's mouth as she was pinned to the bed by a strong hand and tongue each claiming one of her breasts. Emily knew she was getting to the blonde by the way she was letting small whimpers pass her lips. Emily moved from her bare breasts to her stomach, kissing as much as she could as she worked her way down Naomi's torso.

The blonde tensed when she felt Emily's lips on her lower abdomen and her fingers curl under the waistband of her knickers. "Emily." There was a quiver in her voice that made Emily's heart flutter. She froze and looked up to see Naomi's eyes shut tight, bracing herself for what she was about to say. "This..." The words caught in her throat. "I've never..."

Emily slowly climbed back up and gently laid her body flush against Naomi's. "Hey." She stroked Naomi's cheek and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Naomi opened her eyes and peered up at the redhead on top of her. "I've never done this before." _Please don't laugh at me._

Emily smiled. "We haven't technically _done_ anything _yet_...besides strip down to our knickers and kiss each other like fiends." Emily gave Naomi another quick kiss.

Naomi relaxed a bit and smiled up at Emily. She hoped that Emily would understand what she meant by her admission.

"We could just go to sleep...we do have breakfast plans in the morning." Emily grinned and brushed a strand of blonde hair away from Naomi's face.

Naomi caught Emily's hand as she felt Emily shifting off of her and brought it to her lips. She kissed each knuckle, her eyes locked on Emily's, and placed it over her heart. "I don't want to sleep." She took Emily's hand and moved it down her body, stopping just above her knickers before saying, "I want you."

Emily didn't have time to react as Naomi pushed her hand inside her knickers and her fingers found the slick heat that was waiting for her between her legs. They each gasped at the sudden contact, Emily unable to take in breath, Naomi holding hers as she felt her body scream with pleasure.

"Yes." It was the only word that was clearly running through the blonde's mind, the only one she could force through her parted lips. "Yes." She said it again, breathlessly in Emily's ear, as the redhead began touching her, feeling her, making her clutch onto whatever part of Emily she could find, fingers sliding up and down over Naomi's hard clit.

"Oh fuck." Emily groaned, her eyes were shut tight, a pained expression furrowing her brow. The overwhelming sensation of Naomi on her fingers was making it difficult to breathe; she was light headed and needed something to hold onto. Her eyes flashed open to find Naomi staring back at her.

"Kiss me, please." Naomi's voice was pleading as she grabbed the back of Emily's neck and pulled her down to her mouth. Their lips slammed together in a frantic kiss that quickly turned into nothing but deep, penetrating tongues, sliding against one another in time with Emily's fingers.

Everything was happening quickly, or maybe it wasn't; Emily could only feel her heart pounding wildly beneath her ribcage, which made it seem fast. It was possible that time had stopped completely the second she touched Naomi, her fingers dipping into silk. The ache that she had been feeling, low in her stomach, since Naomi rocked against her on the couch was in danger of driving her mad. She had to feel it again.

With her free hand, which had been caressing Naomi's cheek as they kissed, Emily pushed herself up off the bed just enough to slide her leg over the blonde's and grind down on her thigh. She let out a strangled cry as she moved her hips slowly against Naomi; she was incredibly wet and hoped that she wasn't moving too fast. She got her answer when she felt Naomi's hands move down her back and grab her ass.

Without hesitation, Naomi pulled Emily in closer, her arms flexing with each movement, keeping the same rhythm as the redhead's hips. Emily's lips left hers suddenly and Naomi opened her eyes to see the girl on top of her, her red hair falling effortlessly over her shoulders, her head thrown back, neck exposed, lips parted as she panted, her skin covered in glistening sweat, and in that moment, she knew.

"Take these off."

Emily looked down to meet Naomi's eyes as she felt her shorts being pulled down by determined hands. Emily rolled off Naomi and onto her back, the sudden loss of contact setting off every nerve in her body. As she hooked her thumbs in the waistband, Naomi pounced, stopping her hands and replacing them with her own. They locked eyes, briefly, positions now reversed, before Emily lifted her hips.

As Naomi pulled the material down, over her hipbones, she saw something red outlined in black slowly appear until Emily's entire tattoo was revealed. A red cross..._The_ Red Cross. Naomi grinned and looked up at Emily. "You are going to be the sexiest doctor to ever walk this earth." Emily smiled back at her and then yelped as Naomi roughly pulled her shorts off completely; she had nothing on underneath.

Naomi let her eyes wander over every inch of Emily's naked body. She reached out with timid fingers and touched the ink on the inside of her left hip. Her sparkling blue eyes were dark with desire, as she leaned down, hands on either side of Emily's hips, and placed a gentle kiss there. Her kisses continued leaving a trail of heat leading back to rosy lips and a needy tongue as she hovered over Emily, not yet ready for their bodies to touch.

Emily sensed her hesitation and quickly flipped her over and onto her back. "These need to come off first." Naomi nodded and Emily slid her knickers down and off her legs. She licked her lips as Naomi's hands found her hips and pulled her body back down on top of hers.

"Fuck." Naomi's body ignited as she felt Emily, hot and wet, against her thigh. This time there was nothing between them and Naomi knew that Emily was feeling the exact same thing.

Their hips picked up the rhythm where they had left off, perhaps a bit faster now that skin was touching skin, hands gripping and grasping, bare legs intertwined, breasts pressed against breasts and brown eyes staring into blue eyes.

It didn't take either of them very long from that point. Naomi's muscles started to tense and twitch as Emily sucked on her neck, nibbling and teasing her with her tongue. She felt the sharp pain of nails digging into her back as she whispered, "Come for me," into the blonde's ear.

The shuddering and shaking of Naomi's body as she came, crying out _Yes!_ and _Emily! _and _Jesus Christ!_, sent the redhead over the edge instantly. Her hands were in Naomi's hair as she crashed her lips against Naomi's and came hard, kissing her desperately over and over again.

Emily collapsed into Naomi's chest as they both tried to catch their breath. Naomi traced lazy patterns on Emily's skin as her eyes came back into focus, staring up at the ceiling in amazement. She felt Emily begin to shift off of her, but held her in place. "Can't we just stay like this...for a bit?"

Emily grinned against the skin over her beating heart. "Yeah, we can...for a bit."

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**I'm not going to discuss anything that just happened above right now, because it was weird/fun/nerve-racking enough to write in the first place, but I would LOVE to know what you thought about it! Please leave a review if you'd like...I'd like...so... *wink***

**To I'mjustafanficreader: You are incredible. You re-read and reviewed every single chapter of Ink and for that…you get a free tattoo of your choice…inked by Effy herself. The Chair is waiting.**

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**Do this! You'll like it: http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 19**  
**by HMHDHB**

**107. Emily Kane- Art Brut**  
Naomi outside Emily's door. Like always, I went back and forth on what to pick for this little scene. This is the shit I liked when I was about 18/19. Art Brut aren't the best band in the world, but they put on a fun show, write catchy little songs and one of my all time most comfortable bed time shirts is a super douchey Art Brut t-shirt that reads "Popular Culture No Longer Applies to Me" (6seater has an even douchier one that reads "Modern Art Makes Me Want to Rock Out"). I love the little guitar beginning with a nervous Naomi. It's a tiny little scene but I wanted the chapter to start with something fun. The music ends the second Katie opens the door. **(Blondie: Much like those bible kids...I love the music and the lyrics...can't stand the sing/talking this dude does. Ugh. But a great choice for this scene. Emily is such a cute name. Everyone should write songs about Emilys.)**

**108. Halo (Beyonce cover)- Florence and the Machine**  
Naomi and Katie talking, this is playing in the background. So, I have this whole thing worked out in my head where Katie wants to listen to Beyonce and Emily says no, but because Emily is lovely she gets this cover and it's something of a compromise. First of all, Florence and the Machine need to do a covers album, a la Cat Power (see the beautiful version of Postcards From Italy for further proof of this). The Beyonce version is actually a pretty wonderful song which I have heard a shit ton because it's my roommate's getting psyched up going out song which makes even less sense than the week where I insisted on playing "I am Telling You" from Dreamgirls before going to the club. **(Blondie: This is the first time I am hearing about this Dreamgirls fandango, as well as the Halo before going out ritual your roommate does. I am confused on both accounts. The choice for this scene is perfect!)**

**109. Hang With Me- Robyn**  
Naomi, Katie and now Emily has joined them, this is playing in the background. This is still off of the "Katie" playlist Emily has made, Emily allows for a straight up Robyn song because Robyn is awesome and crosses hipster and normal person battle lines. So, I tend to get a bit gushy about how amazing Robyn is, and all that, but seriously. She writes perfect pop songs. Robyn is also one of the most clever song writers out there, "If you keep it tight, I'm gonna confide in you." Genius. Oh and the cute little girl so excited to see Robyn that she's nervous at the in-store in the video, that's totally gonna be your kid, 10 years old and her favorite singer is Robyn not Justin Beiber because you guys will raise your child right.** (Blondie: Thank you for you vote of confidence in our future child-raising skills. I'm pretty excited for dance party time - a lot like coloring time or nap time but with dancing - because nothing is cuter than little kids dancing. I love that you've made up your own music-related back-stories for the characters! That is some fooking dedication, man.)**

**110. Happy- Best Coast**  
Emily and Naomi in Emily's room. This is just a cute little song about being all happy and in love and shit and I think it suits them here. **(Blondie: This song and this band are so good! All their songs are good, really. Everyone needs to listen to their stuff.)**

**111. Beautiful and Very Smart- Harlem**  
Naomi, Emily and Katie. This song follows them from the apartment to the street. I love this song. And now that Naomi knows that Emily is not only beautiful but very smart, le sigh. **(Blondie: You are such an undercover romantic! You don't fool me HMHDHB!)**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: OMGod! I can't even being to tell you all how sorry I am for the delay in posting a new chapter. It was brought to my attention by many of you that I'm a dicksplash and, while that is true, I hope you can all put down your weapons, click away from the delete author button, and just pour yourself a nice big glass of whiskey and enjoy some new Ink.**

**Where have I been? Let's see... Quit Job. HMHDHB's B-Day. Robyn. Tranny Santa Mashup Holiday Dance Party. Glitter Bomb. Drug Test. New Job. \o/ Yay! Decked Halls. Hung Stockings. Cleaned Kitchen. Whiskey. Turkey. Those are not in order.  
**

**Holy shit. I just realized that this chapter will most likely NOT be worth the wait, because the last chapter was all the hot doin' it stuff, which is all that you dirty pervs want anyway. Great! Now I feel even worse. Ugh! **

**At the very least, know that I've missed you all very much and now that things have settled down, I hope to jump back into Naomily in Inkland with fervor. Oh, and Hypes: I think we've now come full-circle, no?  
**

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Chapter 28

There was a stillness about the room that seemed to shake the blonde awake from where she peacefully slumbered. It alerted her to the things that made this room unlike the one that she had grown used to since leaving Bristol. Besides the strange bed, it was too quiet. Naomi's dorm room window faced a busy thoroughfare and the noise from the passing cars, buses, and bikes never ceases, even at this time of night.

Actually, the night had long since passed and Naomi found herself squinting to read the hands of her gold watch. _Four thirty eight_. She closed her weary eyes and let her hand fall back onto her stomach; the soft texture of Emily's duvet was cool to the touch, a striking contrast to the heat that Naomi's hands had been delighting in over the last several hours.

Emily was asleep with her back to Naomi, her hair fanned out over her pillow. Naomi turned onto her side, reaching out to touch it.

Naomi's blue eyes closed as her mind wandered back through their recent endeavors. A flash of dark brown eyes full of desire, skin glazed with sweat, hands gripping and grabbing onto thighs and breasts, fiery red hair splashing against the pillow, Emily's body arched, head falling back with release, Naomi's fingers deep inside her throbbing center as Emily cried out her name.

The blonde took in a sharp breath as her eyes shot open and tried to clear the thoughts from her head that were making her want to wake up the sleeping form beside her and go at it for the sixth time that night, not that she was counting. Instead, she let Emily continue her much deserved sleep and she carefully crawled out of bed, taking the top sheet with her.

After some effort and fumbling about the floor, Naomi found her pack of cigarettes and a lighter and went to the window for a much needed fag. The frame creaked a bit as Naomi lifted the latch and swung it open. She tossed a glance over her shoulder to make sure that she hadn't disturbed Emily who was still very much asleep all curled up in blankets and adorable. _You're perfect_. Naomi couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips.

A rush of chemicals entered Naomi's lungs as she inhaled deeply. _Jesus_. Smoking after sex was now her second favorite thing, sex being the first, as she exhaled a thick cloud of smoke from where she was perched on Emily's window sill. All those post-coital smoking scenes in those god awful movies from the 70s that her mum seemed to love finally made sense.

As Naomi burned through her fag, she peered out the window. It was definitely much quieter on Emily's street. Naomi thought about how nice it would be to study there and read without constant noise and distraction. Maybe Emily wouldn't mind if she stayed over while Emily went to class or was at work. And maybe some mornings, if her schedule allowed, she could make breakfast while Emily got ready for the day.

Naomi rolled her eyes at herself, muttering, "Fuck's sake," under her breath. She pulled the sheet tighter around her body, her smile replaced with a scowl, and chanced another glance over at Emily. "What ya doin'?" Naomi shook her head.

This was their first time together, it could possibly be their only time together for all she knew, and she was already making too much of it, letting herself get carried away before she knew for certain. Emily had lots of girls, lots of blonde girls that weren't her. Naomi shook the thoughts away and took another long drag off her cigarette. She closed her eyes. She was tired. She wasn't thinking clearly and now there was that stupid pain in her chest that she felt every time she thought about not being with Emily.

Naomi wanted to leave, collect her clothes from where they were strewn around Emily's bedroom floor and just go home. It would be easier that way if Emily was already planning to _move on to the next slut she could find_.

A pair of thin arms wrapped around Naomi's waist from behind and her body jolted from the surprise. "Fuck!"

"Sorry!" Emily kept her hold on the startled blonde. "I thought you heard me get up." Emily placed a warm kiss on Naomi's bare shoulder and pulled her in closer.

Naomi let her eyes close as she relaxed into the feeling of Emily pressed against her back, Emily's lips sending trillions of tingles all over her skin, Emily's arms holding her close. She felt a smile spread across her face and the ache she had been feeling beneath her ribs vanished. "I thought you were asleep. Did I wake you?"

Emily shook her head and rested her chin on Naomi's shoulder. "I think my body woke me up. It wants something." Emily's voice was deep and raspy from sleep.

Naomi's pulse quickened at the sound of those words coming from that voice, but she wasn't fooled. "I thought you quit."

Emily smiled into Naomi's neck. "I said I was _trying_."

Naomi lifted what was left of her cigarette up to Emily's level, but held it just far enough away so that she couldn't reach it with her lips.

"Tease."

Naomi scoffed and moved her hand the rest of the way, allowing Emily to take a drag. "I'm standing naked, in your bedroom, wrapped in a sheet...not exactly tease behaviour, is it?" Naomi's blue eyes sparkled in the pale light as she bit her bottom lip and waited for Emily's reply.

"I think..." Emily exhaled out the window. "...the teeth marks on my inner thigh would better help you plead your case. Being naked and in a sheet..." Emily shrugged. "...circumstantial at best."

Naomi's cheeks turned pink at the mention of the marks caused by her earlier excitement. She was about to apologize again, but Emily's choice of words stopped her. "Circumstantial, ay? I thought _I_ was the lawyer and _you_ were the doctor in this relationship."

She heard the word _relationship_ come out of her mouth before she realized that she had said it. Her movements stilled, waiting for Emily's reaction.

"Right. Sorry. My mistake." Emily smirked and nuzzled Naomi's neck, breathing her in. Sex and perfume and something that was uniquely Naomi, it was Emily's new favorite scent.

Naomi, calmed by Emily's response, took the last pull of her cigarette, stubbed it out on the outside ledge, and flicked the butt into the street below. She shivered as she pulled the window closed, Emily's arms still wrapped around her waist. "It's cold."

She turned to face Emily, lifting her arms as she spun around, and felt a hot flush cover her skin as she laid eyes on the very naked redhead before her. Naomi placed her hands on Emily's shoulders; her skin was warm and so very soft. Without hesitation, Naomi let her fingers slide down over Emily's collarbone and chest until she had two perfect breasts in her hands. She could do this now; she could touch Emily like this.

Emily's nipples were hard and Naomi wanted them in her mouth again, but she resisted. If she kissed Emily again, she knew what would happen and she wasn't entirely sure she would be able to stay awake, not that she was about to admit that to Emily though.

There had been so many endorphins coursing through her brain over that last several hours that she felt drunk and wired and high and delirious all at the same time. It was a wonder that she was able to stand at all. She glanced over at the bed. It looked like it had been hit by a sex tornado.

"You're tired." It wasn't a question; Emily saw the look of longing on Naomi's face as she eyed the bed.

"No." Naomi shook her head. "I was just-"

Emily cut her off with a kiss. "Fine. _I'm_ tired." The redhead smirked and kissed Naomi again. She felt the blonde's body relax and her hands slide down her sides and rest on her hips. "Can we please go back to bed?"

Naomi nodded as she followed Emily, letting the sheet fall from her frame, as she crawled under the duvet that was being held open for her. Only one pillow remained on the bed and neither of the girls could be arsed to search around for another so they shared it, laying on their sides facing each other.

Emily wasn't used to this, this kind of intimacy. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept with a girl, actually curled up and fell asleep, knowing that they would wake up together in the morning. If she was being completely honest with herself, she made sure that it didn't happen.

There must have been a strange look on her face as she thought about all the girls she had walked out on, called taxis for, or given fake phone numbers to over the last year, because Naomi's questioning blue eyes were locked on hers, waiting for Emily to return from wherever her thoughts had just traveled to.

"Are you alright?" Naomi's eyes showed her concern.

Emily's heart swelled in her chest and she suddenly felt like more of an asshole than she did already. Naomi was asking if she was okay when it should have been Emily doing so. She blinked a few times and nodded and shook her head at the same time. "Yeah." She reached out and touch Naomi's cheek. "Are you?"

Naomi's mind was racing. She hadn't thought about it fully, not yet anyway. She felt fine, more than fine, but with the way Emily was looking at her and because of the reason the question was being asked, she knew that replying with her standard _I'm fine_ would be inappropriate at best. At the same time, she didn't know what else to say so she hoped that a kiss would make up for her lack of words.

She closed the distance between them and gently placed her lips on Emily's. They stayed like that, neither of them deepening the kiss, for several seconds until Emily pulled back slightly. "On the night we met..."

Naomi's heart began pounding wildly and her body stiffened. _What is Emily going to say?_ She held her breath.

"...you told me that you'd never had a boyfriend."

"Right..." This was not even close to one of the possibilities Naomi had imagined and she wondered where this was going.

Emily smoothed her hand down Naomi's arm. "And you said that you knew that you fancied girls so there was no point trying it on with a guy."

Naomi scrunched up her nose at the mere thought of her having sex with a guy. "I kissed a few of them, but no, nothing more. Why?"

Emily's eyes lit up and she tried to hold back a smirk. "Well, I'm just a bit surprised really."

"You're surprised that I never fucked a guy?" Naomi recoiled a bit with a frown on her face.

Emily squeezed her shoulder. "No!" This was coming out all wrong. "I'm surprised you've never fucked a girl." Emily cringed at her phrasing. "I mean, had sex with a girl, slept with a girl before. You're gorgeous and clever and so fucking sexy. And you've known that you're gay for a while now. I just, I don't understand how I could be the first."

Naomi's expression softened. She was used to being the one that was flustered and rambling. Seeing Emily this way made her heart expand as she felt a rush of warmth spread over her. "I can't decide if you're paying me a compliment or just pointing out what a pathetic loser I've been up until about..." Naomi checked the time. "...four hours ago." Naomi's eyes showed the playfulness behind her words.

Emily rolled her eyes and smiled. "You know damn well what I meant, Campbell."

Before Naomi had a chance to reply, Emily hooked her knee between Naomi's and pushed herself up and over, forcing Naomi on her back and bringing their bodies together again. Emily took Naomi's hand and pressed it into the pillow above her head, followed by the other, and held them firmly in place. She could see a hint of question in Naomi's eyes so she leaned down and placed a reassuring kiss on her lips.

The feeling of the blonde underneath her made Emily's want ignite all over again. She had her and she could take her again. This girl she had craved since the night they met. The girl that Emily hoped would some day remember what happened between them that night. Emily's lips turned up into a wide smile.

"What?" Naomi narrowed her eyes. Emily was obviously thinking about something and she wanted to know what it was.

"I was just thinking back on when you got your ink." Emily's eyes flicked up to Naomi's wrist and the letter E tattooed there. She pressed her bare thigh into Naomi and felt a wet heat there that made her rock her hips again.

Naomi gulped and her mouth when dry. "And?" She wanted Emily to finish her thought, but she also had to do something about the pulse that was building between her legs. As Emily moved against her, she matched the pace, the heals of her feet digging into the bed.

Emily let her eyes close as a wave of pleasure washed over her skin. The duvet slid down her back and Naomi took advantage of their position to watch the redhead's muscles move under the ink that covered her side and beneath her breast, her shoulder and upper arm flexing with each thrust.

Their breathing became labored and Emily could feel a light sheen of sweat forming where their skin was pressed together. "And...I tried to convince you that..." Emily was panting now; her voice was raw. "...you should wait and think it over for a bit, because...you might not feel the same in the morning."

"Obviously unsuccessful." Naomi licked her lips and tried to move her arms so she could grab onto Emily's hips, but the heir to the Fitch Fitness fortune was, not so surprisingly, insanely strong and Naomi couldn't break free.

"You were determined." Emily smirked down at the blonde who again tried to wriggle out of her hold.

"Once I've got my heart set on something, I don't stop."

"So you've got your heart set on me then?" Emily asked it in a teasing sort of way, more cheek than seriousness, and she tried to keep her expression neutral even though the weight of the question hit her the second after it passed her lips.

Naomi smiled back, but there was a slight panic behind her eyes that she hoped Emily couldn't see. She chewed on her bottom lip to stall for time. "Getting Emily Fitch was _way_ better than getting a tattoo. Much more fun and less pain. Although now, you're kind of hurting my wrist."

A flash of concern shown in Emily's dark brown eyes and she released her grip on Naomi. She was about to apologize and check to see if she was alright, when Naomi surged toward her and flipped her over onto her back. Emily squealed in surprise followed by a throaty chuckle. "You bitch."

Naomi didn't wait for Emily's laughter to subside before she began kissing her with force, sliding their bodies together and pushing two fingers deep inside her. Emily let out a strangled cry, her head thrown back as she moaned and whispered, "Yes" and "More" and "Harder" into Naomi's ear.

Sleep could wait.

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**So…I really do hope that Chapter 28 wasn't too much of a letdown. As I've said before, I just kind of sit there until my fingers start typing and most of the time I have no idea what's going to happen. I think you all know by now that I don't post all willy-nilly and I do spend a lot of time just staring at a blank page. I did try to get a bit of perspective from the girls, not sure if it played, but if you picked up on anything or have a theory as to what the hell is going on…please review and let me in on it! Please.**

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**

**SD Vol. 20!**

**http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C02178 2964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces)**

**112. TBTF- Kevin Drew**

Naomi talking to Effy. This is the song that plays through most of their interaction in this chapter, except for when we cut back to them for the last time. TBTF stands for Too Beautiful to Fuck, and I think that's pretty apt for our Ems. The music seems to suit the scenes as well. **(Blondie: This song has that kind of dreamy feel to it. I think it works very well for a scene that involves Effy in particular. She's a bit difficult to pin down and all.)**

**113. Running Out- Scissor Sisters**

Emily and Katie in the car and when you first meet the rest of the family. Lyrically this isn't great but I really love this song and the taxi ride kind of gave me a free pass in terms of picking a song (the taxi driver could be listening to anything). I stuck with it for when the girls arrive to their house because I was reading the scene with the song on in the background and it fit so well. All of the family members have pretty big personalities and there is a lot of talking over each other and such, so I felt the fast paced music worked. **(Blondie: "We're running out of patience and air." Go ahead and act like the lyrics are no big deal…you aren't fooling me.)**

**(When we go back to Effy and Naomi, it's still TBTF.)**

**114. Crazy for You- Best Coast**

The Fitch Family at Dinner. I really, really love this song and it kind of reminds me of my family, or more specifically my parents. I love them a lot but sometimes I want to punch them in the face, but I don't know what I would do without them. I think Emily feels the same way. **(Blondie: Haha! Oh man…I hadn't ever really thought about this song as anything other than a love song…but you're right. It does work for a family dynamic in many ways.)**

**115. Tell Her Tonight- Franz Ferdinand**

Effy and Naomi's last scene. I pick a lot of stuff I listened to when I was in my early days of university. Franz Ferdinand was one of my favorite bands then, and I still love them (and I've never seen them live!). I was going to use this at the start of the chapter but it just didn't feel right. I think it works better here. **(Blondie: Interesting choice. I tend to see everything from Naomi's view point, but this really works from Effy's point of view in that she's pretty much facing off with Naomi. A challenge, if you will…or perhaps you won't. I'm not sure what Effy's deal is yet. Nevermind.)**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Seriously, I am so happy that we are now on the downhill side of winter. It is 80 degrees in Los Angeles right now and all I can think about are swimming pools and music festivals. The amazing and beautiful 6seatertable got me a Coachella ticket for Christmas and we booked our hotel last week! Can you feel the excitement in the air?**

**Alright, here's a little bit of Naomily cuteness to hold you over for a bit. Enjoy! Happy New Year! **

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Chapter 29

Emily awoke with a strange feeling in her chest that she didn't recognize at first. It was slightly painful but mostly exhilarating and she decided that she wouldn't open her eyes just yet, but she would let a smile escape from her lips. Part of her wanted to hold on to the feeling for as long as she could while the other just wanted it to pass, because she was going to have to ignore it anyway.

So as she laid there with her eyes closed and her hands gripping the sheets that covered her naked skin, her mind began replaying the events from the night before. _Her fingers tangled in soft blonde hair, her thighs pressed against firm thighs, her tongue sliding over a hard nipple, her lips kissing perfect lips over and over again._ Emily preferred these thoughts; they were easy and distracting and the ache in her chest was quickly forgotten.

She decided that it was safe to open her eyes now and turn over to look at the girl who was asleep beside her, sharing her bed. _Naomi_. And as she rolled onto her side and as her brown eyes blinked and adjusted to the light, she reached out to find cold sheets where Naomi's warm body should have been.

Emily pulled her hand back like it had been burned and curled into a ball, wrapping her duvet around her tightly. She shouldn't be surprised really; it had to be past noon by now and she had caught the crafty blonde tiptoeing across her living room floor once before in an attempt not to wake her.

The redhead didn't have a chance to dwell on the disappointment she was feeling for too long as the sound of ceramic breaking and a stream of expletives sounded through her closed bedroom door. _Naomi._

The smile that spread across Emily's face could have powered the city. Naomi hadn't left; she was still there, destroying her kitchen, and Emily couldn't have been happier.

As the swearing and muttering from the other room continued, Emily's phone beeped from its place on the nightstand. A text from Katie:

I've changed my mind.  
I am going out tonight.  
All men are useless  
dicksucks and I don't  
feel like staying in.  
Might as well give the  
lezzas some fit eye  
candy to enjoy. Call me  
as soon as Campbell  
manages to climb off  
your face. x -K.

Emily placed her phone back on the nightstand as she let that image play on repeat in her head. She was interrupted from her filthy thoughts as the door to her bedroom slowly opened and the subject of her fantasy appeared balancing two cups of tea and a plate of toast.

"You're awake." Naomi seemed almost disappointed; she had planned to wake Emily up with soft kisses, but when she saw Emily's eyes roaming up and down her body with that now familiar look of lust, the blonde's plans were soon forgotten.

"You realize this is what dreams are made of, right?" Emily propped herself up on her elbows, grinning, and continued to appreciate the sight before her.

Naomi stood at the foot of the bed. She looked at the tea and toast she was carrying, but couldn't for the life of her figure out what was so special about that.

Emily shook her head and chuckled. "_You_ Naomi. Look at you." The redhead's devilish grin disappeared and was replaced with a look of pure adoration. "You're...amazing."

Naomi could feel a blush cover her cheeks; she dropped her head slightly to hide the color. It was then that Naomi remembered that she was wearing only her blue button-up shirt, which was primarily _unbuttoned_ and showing off everything, and nothing else but her knickers. Her long legs were on full display. It occurred to Naomi that perhaps she might look kind of sexy in that _morning after_ sort of way, but she brushed that notion away as she moved to the side of the bed that was meant for her.

* * *

It was hours later that a second round of tea and toast was made; the first had gone cold from where it had been set down and immediately forgotten as Emily pulled Naomi back into bed.

"What did you do to it?" Emily's eyes were wide.

"I can't say." Naomi took a sip from her mug.

"But, this is just..." Emily was at a loss for words.

Naomi just nodded but stayed silent.

"Naomi. This is the best toast I've ever had in my life. Tell me how you make it!" The redhead was getting frustrated with the blonde's refusal to divulge her toast-making secrets. Naomi just shook her head and took another sip of tea.

"Fine." Emily continued to munch on her toast.

Naomi's eyes flashed worry as she looked back over at Emily. She couldn't tell if she had meant _fine_ as in "It's fine. I'll stop asking the questions you won't answer," or _fine_ as in "Fine. I'm never going to kiss you again, because you won't answer the question." Naomi was one hundred percent sure she wanted it to be the first scenario.

Naomi bit her bottom lip. _Better not chance it this early on._ "I use the oven instead of the toaster and during the last thirty seconds, I add the butter so it melts into the bread. Oh, and there's a thing I do with the temperature and length of time before I flip it over. The flipping done before the butter, of course."

Emily smiled at the blonde. "I can't believe you gave it up that easily." She chuckled and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on Naomi's lips, but the blonde did not return it. Emily pulled back smirking and took another big bite of toast.

Naomi tried to act as if she was offended by Emily's comment, but she couldn't resist the redhead's cheeky grin. So with a smile and a shrug, she said, "Well, I guess you'll never know what happens once it's out of the oven, which is too bad, because, really, that's the best and most important part. Shame."

Emily narrowed her eyes at the gorgeous blonde sitting cross-legged in bed next to her, eating toast and sipping on tea, as the afternoon sun started to set, and she was suddenly filled with that painful but exhilarating feeling again. She had been up all night having incredible sex, had slept through most of the day for the first time in months, and had awoken to the sight of a half-naked girl bringing her breakfast in bed. This had to be the best twenty four hours of her life so far.

And as Emily tried to stifle the warm and fuzzy feelings that were bubbling up inside her and threatening to overflow, she knew that it was only going to get better from here.

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**This was a short one, but I had to post something so the threats on my life would stop and I don't quite have the next part worked out yet. Naomi seems to get most of the narrative in this story, so I wanted to get a peek into that adorable redhead's head for this bit. Do any of the other writers out there find Emily pov hard to write? I know I do! Even in the series it was really Naomi running the show most of the time.**

**I do hope you enjoyed the chapter and make sure to visit the Ink youtube page and do a read-a-long to Chapters 21 and 22. I'm off to a dance party. Until next time...**

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**Music! http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces) or go to my profile and click on the homepage.**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 21 **  
**by HMHDHB**

**116. I Wanna Sleep In Your Arms- Modern Lovers**  
Naomi killing time before getting to Emily's. Back before I was the fanfic song picking superstar I am today, I used to make little playlists for the characters on the show. This was always always always a Naomi song. It pretty much speaks for itself. **(Blondie: I remember speaking with you about how this is such a Naomi song...and that was many, many months ago. Emily does seem to have a calming effect on Naoms...turns her into a great big softie, she does.)**

**117. Hanging on the Telephone- Blondie**  
Naomi and Emily in Emily's apartment. This one was picked for me. Nice one. **(Blondie: Yah...I thought it would be cute if Ems was playing the record that Naomi gave her. It's like making sure to wear the sweater your grandma gave you for Christmas the next time you see her, but in a sexy Naomily way.)**

**118. Sweetness- Taken By Trees**  
Emily and Naomi at dinner. This song I'm not too sure about. I wonder if it has too much of a tropical feel to it, but eh, it's cute and I'm sticking with it. **(Blondie: You have nothing to worry about with this one. It is cute and upbeat and I feel like if I was having dinner and this song was playing, I would be happy about it. And the lyrics are adorbs...it feels good when you hold me. It's like a callback to the Modern Lovers song.) **

**SD Vol. 22**

**119. 40 Day Dream- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros**  
Naomi and Emily walking down the road. So, this is dedicated to my most favorite couple in the world, the real Naomi and Emily of this story, 6seater and Blondie (sorry for outing you guys). This is one of the cutest songs I've heard in a while. And these two ladies are the cutest couple in the world. I think this is good for them walking down the road and kissing. When I listen to this song it feels like it's the happiest day of the singer's life, because he's in love. That is really how this chapter feels. Today is the best day of the lives of these ladies because they're together, and tomorrow will be even better, and so on. So, now the cats out of the bag, Blondie is pretty much just writing her life. So, this one is for you ladies, keep being awesome and keep melting my cold cold heart. Oh, and I think this would be lovely for your wedding. I would sing it but I'll be too busy getting drunk and crying. **(Blondie: I think this might be my favorite song of 2010 [even though it was released in 2009, I didn't hear it until 2010 for reasons I won't get into.] I know that finding a song to follow up my fave song of 2009 [Sexy Bitch] would be challenging, but here it is. And it truly is a fantastic love song. I can tots picture them walking down the sidewalk, holding hands, and being cute together while this songs plays. Good pick!) **


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: Hello Friends! I really don't understand why or how it happens, but every day I get a new favorite story add or author add and it just blows my mind. Do you realize we are coming up on one year? ONE YEAR? Thank you is all that I can say. Thank you to everyone out there who's still reading and enjoying the story and to everyone who has recently joined the party.**

**And to Vangoghgurrl, thank you for keeping the lights on for me and the torch burning. :)**

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Chapter 30 (Thirty is a good number.)

The queue to get into Tony's was much longer than it was when Naomi had been there last, but this time around she didn't make the silly mistake of thinking they would have to wait in it. Instead, she followed Emily without hesitation to the front of the line where Thomas was waiting with his clipboard to check their names off the guest list. "Emily, Naomi, so good to see you."

"Hey Thomas." Emily gave him a smile. "What's with the queue tonight?" Emily glanced over her shoulder at the long line of ladies waiting to be let in.

The smile on Thomas' face melted and he leaned in closer and lowered his voice to reply, "Tony got a tip from one of the other owners. The police have been cracking down on clubs in the area, sending in undercovers over the last few weeks. They've been making busts for over-occupancy, under-age, and anything else they can find." Thomas shook his head. "We are just being careful with the numbers tonight."

Emily rolled her eyes. Naomi stood wide-eyed, hanging on every word, concern etched on her face.

Thomas' smile was back instantly as he asked for their IDs, a formality, of course. Emily rolled her eyes again while she fished her wallet out of the back pocket of her tight, black jeans. Naomi followed suit and they handed their ID cards to Thomas. "Thank you so very much. Have fun tonight. Be safe." Thomas handed back their cards, opened the door for them and they entered.

It took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the darkness once they were through the doors. The vibe was different tonight; Naomi remembered having to push and shove her way through the dense crowd on the night that Tony's band played. It was quite the opposite now as she followed Emily past a handful of girls standing in groups. She made sure to admire the way Emily strutted over to bar like she owned the place.

"So, you come here a lot then?" Naomi took her place next to Emily at the bar.

Emily frowned a bit but replied with a grin. "No, not really. I mean, when there's something going on, yeah. And because it's close to where I live. It's not like we're here _every _night."

"You definitely weren't here _last_ night." Naomi smirked and gave the redhead a wink. The lighting wasn't very good, but she was sure that Emily blushed. In turn, seeing Emily's reaction to her comment made Naomi blush, because she realized that it was the first time they had casually acknowledged, in a round about way, that they had, in fact, had..._relations_.

Suddenly, Naomi felt altogether awkward standing next to the gorgeous girl beside her. She wanted to kiss her, she _always_ wanted to kiss her, but would that be okay? Could she kiss Emily whenever she wanted going forward? Could she just lean over and kiss her right now as they waited for the bartender to stop flirting with every girl flaunting her tits and take their drink order?

"So, what's with all the candles, then?" Naomi gestured toward the inordinate amount of candles placed on the bar and every other available surface. She'd let Emily make the first move or at the very least, have a drink or two before she thought about it again.

Emily smirked. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. It's goth night tonight."

Naomi narrowed her eyes and scanned the room. Emily flagged down a bartender and ordered their drinks.

"Emily?"

The redhead glanced over at the taller girl beside her and smiled.

Naomi moved closer and dipped her head to Emily's ear. "I'm not seeing a lot of goths, but there seems to be an unusually high number of women in this bar."

Emily turned to face Naomi and placed her hands firmly on the blonde's hips, pulling their bodies together. Naomi felt that now familiar rush of excitement that made her skin tingle. Emily stared into her blue, blue eyes. "Tony does a ladies night once a month." She placed a kiss on Naomi's jawline right below her ear. "He started it a few years back, actually, kind of for me and Ef. I thought I told you about it before. It's okay, right?" Emily pulled back to look into Naomi's eyes.

Naomi nodded and did her best to smile, but all she could hear running on repeat in her head was _me and Ef, me and Ef, me and Ef_... She hadn't thought about Effy for at least the last twenty-four hours, but suddenly the prospect of facing the brunette again after their last encounter sent a sick feeling to Naomi's stomach. _Maybe Effy won't be here tonight_.

"Naomi?"

Emily stood facing her holding up a drink. Naomi shook her head to clear her thoughts and took it from Emily's outstretched hand.

"To...new experiences." Emily winked and they clinked glasses. The redhead followed it up by planting a sweet kiss on Naomi's lips. She leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "I'm still wet, by the way." She heard Naomi take in a sharp breath and felt her fingers grip firmly where her hand was resting on Emily's hip.

Naomi couldn't help but let her consciousness be flooded with images of Emily naked and panting underneath her. Her body responded automatically and immediately; it felt like she had been electrocuted. Every nerve was buzzing, every cell humming, with just the _thoughts_ of Emily Fitch. It was hard to believe that she actually had her, could have her, would have her again.

Another question entered the blonde's head as she felt Emily's fingers creeping under the back of her shirt and lightly touching the skin they found there. _Am I going to sleep with Emily again tonight? Will she take me back to hers automatically or do we have to talk about it? I can' t just assume because we spent one night and most of the next day in bed together that it's a given. Or...can I assume because we spent one night and most of the next day in bed together that it's a given? I should call Cook._

The kisses on the blonde's jawline continued and she found it increasingly difficult to focus. Once Emily reached her chin, she trailed her lips up to Naomi's and gave her a soft kiss. "I want to dance."

* * *

As they made their way around the bar towards the dance floor, hand in hand, Naomi noticed a few girls looking at her. Well, not really looking _at_ her, but more like giving her a look. They weren't unfriendly looks or mean looks in any way, but there was something strange about them that made Naomi's smile falter. She wondered if she wasn't dressed correctly; Emily hadn't told her they were going to a lesbian bar after all. Maybe she looked out of place or something.

She looked down at her yellow plaid shirt, gray jeans, and high-tops. Everyone else was dressed in dark gray and black. But then again, Emily wasn't blending in with the shadows tonight either, not that she ever could with that vibrant red hair of hers. Tonight her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her bangs pinned up into an impressive pompadour; she had chosen an electric blue t-shirt, which was no longer a t-shirt, really, since the sleeves had been cut off. Naomi imagined that Emily took scissors to many a shirt once her half-sleeve tattoo had been completed. The thought made her smile as her eyes scanned Emily's ink.

"Here. Let me take your jacket. JJ will watch them for us." Emily took Naomi's jacket and answered the blonde's unspoken question by pointing to the DJ booth at the end of the dance floor.

Naomi recognized Pandora first. She was wearing headphones and a serious expression while posted behind the turntables. _Is there anything this girl can't do? _ JJ stood behind Panda watching her adoringly. Naomi smiled as she saw Emily wave to JJ and lean over the railing to hand him their coats. He smiled widely at the redhead and then tapped Panda on the shoulder. She turned and saw Emily and blew her a kiss followed by an enthusiastic wave and shining smile.

As Emily made her way back across the floor that was starting to fill in now that the music was turned up and the alcohol was kicking in, the song changed suddenly, but seamlessly, and it stopped her in her tracks. She turned back and looked at Panda who was now giving her a double thumbs up. Emily shook her head with a smirk and continued back towards Naomi who was waiting for her at the edge of the dance floor.

Those deep brown eyes were trained on bright blue ones, the lights were flashing and the music drowned out all thoughts. Naomi was transfixed on the sight of Emily coming closer and closer, walking in time with the song that Panda played just for her, but then she stopped, her eyes still burning into Naomi's, and started dancing.

Emily was putting on a show for the blonde, making her want her, making her want to dance with her, making her want to grind up against her. It was working. Naomi could feel her heart rate getting faster and she flexed her hands a few times to relieve the tension in her fingers. She so badly wanted to pull the redhead into her body and hold on to those hips.

_What the fuck is stopping me?_ Naomi threw back the last of her drink and set down the empty glass on a nearby table. As she turned to take her rightful place on the dance floor, she felt her stomach tighten and her feet stop. She saw a thin pair of arms snake around Emily's waist from behind her. Naomi felt flames creeping up her neck and her hands became fists on their own accord. She couldn't see the girl's face, but she didn't need to; the black tattoos that covered her arms were enough to know it was Effy Stonem.

_Get your bony, slut hands off Emily! _Naomi gritted her teeth and charged towards them. She felt a bit out of control; her heart was pounding and she could feel that her face looked mean, but Emily shouldn't be dancing with Effy. Emily shouldn't be leaning back against Effy and covering her hands with her own. Emily didn't like Effy. Emily didn't make love to Effy all night long and all afternoon and again right before they left for the club!

Naomi felt someone grab her arm, not in a violent way, just someone trying to get her attention. Regardless, she spun around ready to fight. "What?"

Katie Fitch was not about to let her little sister's latest fling snap at her and by the look that Katie had on her face, Naomi was now fully aware of that too. "Excuse me?"

"Oh. Hi Katie." The rage deflated instantly from Naomi's body. She was actually happy that Katie had stopped her from doing what she was sure would have made a scene and a fool of herself.

Katie released Naomi's arm and gave her a once over. "Naomi. Really starting to embrace this lesbian thing, I see." The older redhead gestured to her outfit.

"Emily didn't tell me we were coming to a lesbian bar," Naomi offered up lamely.

"Exactly. Where is Ems anyway?" Katie scanned the dance floor.

Naomi's eyes followed hers and they both spotted Emily and Effy twirling and laughing and jumping to the beat.

"Are they high already?" Katie turned back to look at Naomi, but the blonde's eyes were fixated on the dancing duo. Katie noticed the hurt look on Naomi's face and rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Campbell. You're buying me a drink." Katie linked their arms and pulled Naomi towards the bar. "And you're going to pretend to by my date, yeah, if any of these girls try it on with me...which I know they will." Katie fluffed her hair and put on her best sexy face, flashing her tits and smile at every girl they passed.

Naomi felt terrible and confused and as she pushed her way up to the bar, Katie's suggestion of tequila shots sounded very appealing. Tequila always reminded her of Cook; she needed to talk to him. But as she raised another shot in the air and swallowed the disgusting liquid, Naomi knew she wasn't going to get around to calling him tonight. She also knew that, deep down, it was just easier to be mad at Effy.

* * *

**It's fine. I understand. You all just skip to the end of the chapter to see what songs Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches has picked. I get it.**

**http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces) or go to my profile and click on the homepage.**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 23**  
**by HMHDHB**

**120. If Not Now When- Electralane**  
Emily thinking as they're walking. A great song from a great band. I think it's good walking music. And anyone in the UK this summer should definitely take a trip to one of the festivals where Electralane will be performing. And I will be very jealous. **(Blondie: Electralane is getting back together?)**

**121. You've Got the Love-xx**  
The ladies arrive in the whiskey bar. This bar is where I got to do a mini version of my plan for the story. This bar plays all covers. This is my favorite xx song. True story. I fell asleep (not passed out) during their set at Coachella last year, because, much like Crystal Castles, when all their songs are played in a row, they all sound the same. But this is a great song. So, well done guys. **(Blondie: I could absolutely picture this song playing in a cool whiskey bar. It's sexy and it's Florence and it's a nice one. Also: 6seater's voice message said that you were Passed Out.)**

**122. Addicted to Love- Florence and the Machine**  
Still at the bar. This is just awesome. That's all. **(Blondie: You say "that's all," but I know you HMHDHB. You don't just pick songs because they are awesome. This song is about being in love and being addicted to the feeling. I'm sure we can all think a two sexy ladies who might be feeling like they need another hit right about now.) **

**123. Heart it Races- Dr. Dog**  
Leaving the bar. And my last cover. I saw this band in 2005 and let me tell you, they have really, really improved. **(Blondie: As much as I love the original, this is a great cover. It is impossible not to want to dance about and bop around a bit when this plays. And the whole "heart it races" thing is fitting. I would totally get into the back of a taxi with Emily Fitch if this song was playing...or without the song playing.)**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Fuck! It's been a year. A year! ONE Y-E-A-R! Ink is one year old and I just don't know how to feel about that. I'm surprised and shocked and thrilled all at once.**

**This place, this community has brought me endless entertainment, to say the least, and an on-going challenge and commitment that I could never have imagined. Part of me wonders what the last year would have been like if I would have never started this silly little story, while the other part is so grateful that I did.**

**One of many reasons to be grateful: In less than a month, Sixseater and I will be blessed with houseguests by the names of Circle142 and a certain Swedish Valentine. Can you even imagine? Watch out Los Angeles...**

* * *

Chapter 31

Naomi was no stranger to getting left alone at the bar. It was what she was used to, common practice, really, when she and Cook would go out together. They'd share a bottle of something on the walk, Cook would tip over rubbish bins and bark at dogs through chain-link fences and howl up into the night sky as they made their way to the pub. Naomi would smirk and shake her head at his antics and call him a tosser.

It never bothered her then; she was happy that Cook never took things seriously. She preferred it that way. She wanted them to have fun and not be obligated to one another, because it was easier that way. But she wasn't out with Cook tonight.

Naomi stared down into the shot glass full of amber liquid that was waiting for her on the bar. Her throat was still burning from the previous shot of tequila that Katie had insisted she take...or perhaps from the last two. She wanted to tell Katie that they should slow down, but only managed a timid _Thanks_as they clanked glasses and threw their heads back in unison.

"There." Katie slammed her glass down on the bar, completing her row of empties. "Nothing like a Five in Five to start things off."

Naomi coughed a bit, wincing, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, "A what?"

"Uh...like, five shots in five minutes?" Katie gestured to the ten empty shot glasses on the bar. Naomi's eyes widened in surprise and looked back at Katie who scoffed and shook her head. "So now you're blacking out _before_you're drunk, huh?"

Naomi rolled her eyes, but she had to smirk a bit at Katie's jab. "I guess my mind was somewhere else."

"Yeah, perving on my sister."

"I wasn't."

"Naomi, you've been glancing over my shoulder every five seconds. She's fine. She's with Effy. No one's trying to get in her pants. She's not trying to get in anyone else's pants. Relax."

Naomi chews on this for a bit, but can't resist the urge to look again. Thankfully, Effy had removed herself from Emily's ass and they were now just dancing and laughing like friends do when they are out together at a gay club...nothing to be worried about...nothing to get jealous over. Except it was at that moment when Naomi was telling herself not to fret that Effy leaned in close to Emily and placed her hands on her hips and Emily whispered something in her ear. And as they both threw their heads back and laughed, Effy caught Naomi's eye across the bar and gave her a wink.

Naomi hadn't seen Effy since she had stupidly asked her for help in planning her date with Emily. Just the thought of it made heat travel up Naomi's neck. _Fuck Effy_! She blocked the brunette out of her focus and watched Emily instead. _Fuck...Emily._Naomi really couldn't imagine anything sexier than Emily on the dance floor with her vibrant red hair and gorgeous smile. She always looked so happy, so carefree.

"Seriously, what is wrong with these lezzas?" Katie crossed her arms in frustration. "Not even one interested look or smile. I can't even get a nod from that one who's been staring over here. She probably thinks we're together or something."

Naomi, who truly was perving on Emily that time, drew her attention back to the other Fitch twin. As her mind tried to catch up with what Katie just said, she looked over at who Katie was gesturing to. The girl looked familiar, one of Tony's friends she thought, but there was no time to figure it out. "Are you, like, trying to pull tonight?"

Katie scoffed. "You need to get your head checked, Campbell. I'm trying to get free drinks. That's how it works in straight bars. Isn't it the same here?"

"I don't know. I've never been to a lesbian bar before."

"Are you for real?" Naomi nodded. "So, like, how do you meet girls then?"

Naomi opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.

Katie knew the answer just by looking at Naomi's face. "Straight out the gate and you land yourself a Fitch! Cheers to that one, babe."

Somewhere between the tequila shots and Naomi confessing her total lack of experience when it came to women, Katie had order them something pink and in martini glasses. Katie handed one to Naomi.

"Well at least you're starting at the top. There's a lot of frogs out there that trick you into kissing them with fancy cars and great hair." Katie took a large gulp of her drink. "I mean, Emily alone has gone through every gay, bisexual, and questioning girl in London. Although I'm pretty sure that was mostly for fun."

Naomi tried to keep her expression neutral. It didn't work. Those eyes gave her away every time.

"Oh shit. I didn't mean that. She's slept with a good number of girls, but-"

"Kaite, it's fine. I know about Emily's past." Even as the words were leaving her lips, Naomi wondered if _past_was the right word to use.

Naomi looked over to where Emily and Effy were just, but she couldn't find them. "Do you think we should see where Emily is?" Naomi tried not to sound too pathetic. There were thousands of thoughts and questions running rampant around her brain. _Emily has slept with lots of girls. I already knew that. We've been spending time together though. I'm not just a shag. Has she been spending time with other girls?_

"Babe."

_Maybe this is just what Emily does. Fucks girls and then strings them along until she gets bored._

"Babe."

_Then she tells Effy all the sordid details and they have a good laugh._

"Babe."

_And she winked at me! And her hands were all over Emily!_

"Babe."

"What?" Naomi snapped back to reality just in time to snap at Katie Fitch who had been trying to get her attention. The glare on Katie's face sobered Naomi up a bit, which only made her realize that she was already feeling pretty drunk to begin with. "Sorry."

Katie narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "Emily just texted. They got a booth in the back and we're to find them."

Naomi tried to smooth things over with a smile. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Naomi didn't follow Katie for very long; about ten paces shy of the booth in which Emily and Effy sat chatting animatedly, she lightly pulled on Katie's arm and motioned towards the toilets.

As the door swung closed behind her, Naomi let out shaky breath. _Why am I so on-edge? Everything is fine. Everyone is having fun. _Naomi went over to the sink and turned on the cold water, letting it run over her hands and wrists. The cold water soothed the hot blood running through her veins. And there it was, her E, her perfect letter E, which still surprised her each time she noticed it.

The noise from the club filled the room as the door opened. "Are you trying to avoid me or something?"

Naomi turned at the sound of that raspy voice that made her heart swell and skin tingle every time she heard it. Emily took a few tentative steps toward her, but stopped when Naomi didn't reply. "Is everything okay?"

Emily was truly concerned and it made Naomi feel like the biggest arsehole in London. "Everything's fine." Naomi snapped out of the haze of tequila, paranoia, and lust, switching off the tap and pulling some paper towels from the dispenser on the wall. "Sorry, I was just hanging out with Katie at the bar and you seemed like you were having fun, so..."

"Fuck, I'm sorry." Emily stepped closer and took one of Naomi's hands. "Katie can be a bit needy. That's very sweet of you to keep her company." Emily took hold of Naomi's other hand and pulled her closer.

Naomi held her bottom lip between her teeth. "It was fine. I think I was messing up her _game_though. She's very determined to break some hearts tonight."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Sounds about right. Anything for a free drink with that one."

"Speaking of drinks..." Naomi took another step closer to the petite redhead and slid her hands around her waist. Emily followed suit and laced her fingers behind Naomi's neck. "I was hoping that I could buy you another drink...since we are here...together...and I'd like for you to catch up a bit, because I'm feeling quite a bit drunk just now."

"Katie made you do five shots in five minutes, didn't she?"

Naomi closed her eyes and nodded her head.

"Alright drunkie, let's get me caught up." Emily made a move to unwrap herself from the blonde, but Naomi held on to her. Emily looked back up at her in surprise.

"It has been way too long since we've done this." Naomi leaned in and captured Emily's lips without hesitation. She pulled on Emily's hips to bring their bodies closer; Emily gripped the tops of her shoulders as the kiss deepened and they melted into one another.

All the worry that Naomi had been feeling in regards to whether or not Emily truly wanted her there, truly wanted _her_, fell out of her brain and onto the floor with that kiss. Emily had her, Emily wanted her, and that was all that mattered.

The door swung open and once again brought with it the music and chatter from the club as well as a very annoyed elder Fitch. Upon seeing her sister with her tongue down Naomi's throat, she gave the two some words of wisdom. "I know it's like a _thing _with you lezzas and the toilets, but there's, like, 300 women out there all making out on each other, so there's really no need to hide in here." And with that, Katie strutted into one of the stalls and closed the door behind her.

Emily and Naomi shared a smile and shook their heads.

* * *

They did make it out of the confines of the ladies' room shortly after Katie's entrance. Drinks were ordered from one of the scantly clad cocktail waitresses on Tony's payroll. Naomi did her best to address Effy only when prompted and avoid her eye contact all the times in between. Katie did a fantastic job of keeping Effy occupied with endless stories about her job and love life. Naomi relished picking up the tab for several rounds of drinks based purely on the fact that Katie was the perfect fourth wheel. Just of thought of what their evening would have been like without Katie made Naomi shudder.

"We've been sitting for TOO LONG! Come on you fuckers! Let's dance!" Emily threw her head back and slammed her fists down on the table top. She was drunk; they were all drunk, and Naomi couldn't have been happier.

* * *

"THIS IS...THIS IS REALLY GREAT!"

"WHAT?"

"I'M HAVING A REALLY WONDERFUL TIME!" The music was too loud and Naomi had to practically scream in Emily's ear just to be heard.

"YEAH, ME TOO!" Emily smiled and gave Naomi a quick peck on the lips.

This dance floor was packed; it was ass to elbows in every direction and Naomi was covered in sweat. But she wasn't bothered by any of it in the slightest, which surprised her. Naomi hated this kind of scene normally, but the last several weeks had hardly been normal, had they?

"EMILY."

The redhead looked back up into Naomi's eyes as her body continued to move to the beat of the music.

Naomi opened her mouth to speak, but as her bright blue eyes searched Emily's dark brown ones, her ability to express what her heart was pleading for her to vocalize fell into pieces and she was left with only a silly smile on her face and nothing very poignant to say. "I'm in need of a cigarette."

Emily nodded and waved her off as if to say _go for it, I'll be here when you get back._

Naomi turned and pushed her way through the mass of bodies until she was at the edge of the dance floor. She turned to take another look at Emily and was mesmerized by the sight. _How the fuck was I lucky enough to land her?" _Naomi smiled to herself and shook her head. She was about to continue on her way for a smoke, but something stopped her. The song changed and she was frozen in place.

Naomi's heart began to race as an image, a memory, crept into her consciousness.

_It was Emily, she was smiling and pulling her by the hand onto the dance floor. It was the same club, of course, but different, brighter, more colorful, and Emily was wearing a white tank top that was practically glowing under the black lights. _

_"I love this song! Dance with me!"_

_"Why should I?"_

_"Because..."_

_"Because why?"  
_  
_"Because...if you don't dance with me..."_

_Naomi waited with bated breath to hear Emily voice her reason._

_"If you don't dance with me...if you don't dance with me right this second...then you will be the one to have stood in the way of destiny."_

Naomi struggled for breath as she was pulled back to the present. The flashing lights and pounding music made it feel like the walls were closing in on her. She had to go. She had to get out of there. She had to leave before she remembered anything else.

* * *

**I only have a bottle of vodka to blame for the ending of this chapter. Vodka? you say. Yes, vodka. My tolerance for whiskey has become so monumental that I've been forced to switch it up. I don't know how you Brits do it, vodka and Coke is disgusting...but effective. So cheers to that!**

**At this point in the game, one year later, is there anyone out there that will continue to tolerate my feast or famine posting schedule? I really, truly do not set out to let so much time pass between chapters. It's just that...I'm busy. I'm not fishing for reviews by any means, but seriously, if anyone out there is still attached to this story, please let me know. I'd love to hear what you liked about the chapter, about the story in general so I can get some direction on where to take it next. **

**Be well. I really do love you all, which is...kind of...amazing.**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: I love you and I miss you.**

* * *

Chapter 32

It was funny, really. All those days spent in the dark, speculating on the events of that lost night, the night Naomi Campbell met Emily Fitch, and now the blonde was running scared from just a fragment of a memory. So Emily had commented on their destiny. So what? She was probably just making a joke. It wasn't as if Naomi believed in all that rubbish anyway and she certainly didn't believe for one moment that Emily meant anything by it. It was just a silly thing to say, nothing to get worked up about. If only Naomi's racing heart conveyed the same opinion.

So she found herself once again hiding in the alley along the side of the club. It was a pretty night, calm and cool, but not cold. The nicotine felt amazing once the smoke from her newly lit cigarette hit her lungs. She exhaled and closed her eyes, letting her shoulders relax. She needed to relax; she kept telling herself to relax. _Why can't you just fucking relax?_ The back of Naomi's head made contact with the brick wall she was leaning against a bit more forcefully than she intended. Luckily, the alcohol coursing through her blood stream was doing wonders and she felt altogether numb and a bit blurry.

Naomi stared into the glowing ember at the end of her cigarette; it was a bit mesmerizing and helped to quiet the deafening sirens that were sounding between her ears with warnings that this was all just a big mistake and she shouldn't even be there. These types of things don't happen; they shouldn't happen, because they don't exist and she's just fooling herself if she believes for even one minute that it's real.

Naomi scoffs at her own stupidity and with a slightly drunken grin, flicks the still lit butt of her fag towards the wall on the other side of the alley.

"Under the circumstances..."

Naomi's head jerked up with a start at the sound of the deep, raspy voice coming from the direction of her just discarded cigarette.

"...I'm going to choose to believe that you did that on purpose." Effy lazily brushed the ash off the front of her shirt from where Naomi's cigarette butt had hit her, while the heel of her black boot crushed out the burning ember against the cold ground.

A day ago, maybe even a few hours ago, Naomi would have fallen all over herself trying to apologize and explain that she truly hadn't seen her there and it was an accident and she was such a tit. But now, as she looked up at the brunette with the mysterious eyes and mischievous smirk, she had no desire to tip her hand and instead decided to play it close to the vest on this one. "Just be glad I chose not to aim for your head."

Effy must have been surprised by Naomi's retort, because the smirk was wiped off her face and replaced with a genuine grin. Naomi silently congratulated herself for catching the unshakable Effy Stonem off guard.

"As if your aim could ever be that good." Effy narrowed her eyes at the blonde and reached for her pack of cigarettes that she kept tucked just inside her shirt, held in place by her bra strap.

Against her better judgment, Naomi wondered what it would be like to be as effortlessly cool as Effy for just a moment, just long enough to experience how it must feel for everyone to want her. She shook the thought away almost as quickly as it had entered her mind.

Effy lit up and took a long, deep drag, as Naomi got to her feet and dusted off her backside.

"You did alright, actually."

Naomi glanced over at Effy and tried to make it seem like she wasn't interested in what the brunette was talking about, but she betrayed herself by immediately shoving her hands down into the pockets of her jeans and holding her breath while she begged for Effy to continue her thought.

"Emily doesn't really _date_ girls, so you're lucky she had fun."

Naomi focused on the trails of smoke that escaped from Effy's parted lips and lingered just above her head as they caught the light from the street lamps and disappeared into the dark night sky. "She told you she had fun?" Naomi kept her voice even.

"She won't shut up about it." Effy rolled her eyes and took another drag. "Makes me almost glad to have Katiekins here to talk endlessly about men and cock size and blow jobs."

There was no chance that Naomi would have been able to hold back the guffaw that burst from her lips upon hearing that. "And with me she has only spoken about her tits and why none of the girls here tonight want to bone her."

At that, it was Effy who couldn't hold back a laugh or the twinkle in her eye that Naomi saw briefly, but picked up on nonetheless.

"Katie has always been full of surprises." Effy smiled as she brought her cigarette to her lips and took another deep pull.

"So you've known them for a long time, then." It was a question, but it sounded more like a statement with the way Naomi said it.

"The first day of college...they were the opposite of each other...but they looked exactly the same...except for their clothes."

Effy had a far away look in her eyes as she studied the end of her cigarette much like Naomi had been doing just moments before. Naomi finally caught on then; Effy's pupils were huge and her eyes glassy. She was high as a kite and most likely not even realizing that she was speaking to Naomi more now than she had ever spoken to her before all combined.

"Emily has changed a lot since then. And everyone else stayed the same." Effy closed her eyes slowly and took a final drag from her fag before flicking it directly at the wall, just to the right of Naomi's head. It gave off sparks as it bounced off the old bricks and landed at Naomi's feet.

The blonde was obviously drunker than she thought, because she didn't even flinch. And Effy must have taken that as a sign of strength, because she cocked an eyebrow at Naomi as she started to walk away and said, "If you hurt Emily, I'll kill you."

* * *

Emily's back collided with door as her body was pushed up against it and it closed with a forceful slam. Her keys fell to the wood floor with a jangly, metallic thud as she wrapped her arms around Naomi's neck and felt the blonde's hot, wet mouth devouring her neck with her tongue and teeth.

"I've wanted you all night." Naomi whispered it with ragged breaths into Emily's ear. Her hands were already under Emily's top, pressing roughly against her tits; she could feel Emily's nipples getting hard underneath the material of her bra.

Emily let out a moan before pulling Naomi's mouth away from her neck and capturing it with her own. Their kisses were sloppy but intense. There was an urgency behind their movements that made everything that much more frantic and sexy.

It reminded Naomi of the night that she had pushed Emily off of her and had run away in panic due to her inexperience and fear. Without thinking better of it, Naomi pulled back from Emily's lips, her hands sliding down over her toned stomach to rest on her hips. "I never apologized properly for running out on you that night."

"It doesn't matter." Emily pressed her lips to Naomi's and continued their kiss. Emily wasn't even one hundred percent sure what Naomi was talking about, but talking was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment. She grabbed onto the first button of Naomi's shirt and worked it open with expert fingers. She was down to the last one when Naomi spoke again.

"Did you mean it when you said all that stuff about our destiny?"

Emily's hands stilled as she pulled Naomi's top open and clutched onto the fabric in her grasp. She looked up into the blue eyes that were burning into her brown ones. "I thought that you didn't believe in all that rubbish, Naoms."

"I don't."

"Then stop talking and put your mouth on me." Emily pulled on Naomi's shirt and brought their lips together again before pushing it off her shoulders and letting it slide off her arms and onto the floor. Emily had felt like a complete twat for uttering those words to the blonde in the first place and she sure as hell didn't want to acknowledge it any further. That being the case, there was still a part of her that was ecstatic that Naomi had remembered another piece of the night they met.

Ultimately, it was better this way. Emily had resolved to stop hoping that Naomi would remember everything that had happened that night, because, really, did it matter? They were together now, they were attracted to each other, they enjoyed spending time together, and as of last night, they were fucking each other and it was good. It was really good; it was amazing. So did it matter if Naomi remembered every detail of the first night they met?

Of course it did. What happened that night meant everything to Emily Fitch.

But it was so much easier to keep pretending like it didn't.

So when Naomi started kissing her way down Emily's torso while her eager hands undid the button of Emily's jeans and pulled down the zipper, the redhead buried her fingers in the blonde's soft hair and pushed her down to where she needed Naomi's mouth.

It was fast; Naomi was on her knees, pulling down Emily's jeans and knickers as she went. She didn't have time to take them all the way off before Naomi's tongue was on her and she was moaning, opened mouth as her head fell back against the door.

She came in Naomi's mouth moments later; the blonde's strong arms holding her in place while her knees went weak.

While still on her knees, Naomi kissed her way down Emily's thigh and pulled off her shoes and helped her step out of her jeans one foot at a time. As she got back to her feet, she grabbed the hem of Emily's top and pulled it off over her head.

Emily was still in a daze and using all her strength to keep upright. Her bra was the next and last piece of clothing to be removed and thrown carelessly onto the floor. Naomi took her hand and led her into the bedroom on shaky legs. She loved the way that Naomi was smiling at her with pure adoration in her breathtaking blue eyes.

The next thing she knew, she was being thrown onto the bed as Naomi kicked off her shoes and stripped off her jeans. The lip bite that Naomi was currently doing while her eyes raked over every naked inch of her body, told Emily that she was not going to be sleeping any time soon.

* * *

"Are you shitting me?"

It had been two weeks since Emily and Naomi had _officially_ started dating. It was all a bit ridiculous the night that Naomi had asked what her answer should be if anyone inquired on their relationship status. _Anyone_ being her mother, Gina Campbell, who was as nosey as she was determined to meet Emily Fitch. Gina had claimed that she had to meet Emily in person, because, and this is a quote, "She didn't believe that a person existed on this Earth that could inspire her daughter to take the stick out of her arse for long enough to have some fun." Naomi had told her mother to fuck off before hanging up the phone only to be followed moments later by a text that read _Soon_. : )

If only a visit from Gina and Kieran were the topic of discussion now as Naomi and Emily sat snuggled up on Emily's couch watching _Tipping the Velvet_ and snacking on popcorn.

"My mum invited you. You have to go." Emily replied to Naomi's question as if going to the next Fitch Family Dinner was no big deal for the blonde.

"Emily." Naomi unwrapped herself from behind the petite redhead and sat up on the couch to face her.

Emily struggled to stay propped up as the support from Naomi's body was taken away from her suddenly. "It's just dinner. They will love you; I know they will." Emily's voice was soft and placating. She had known before mentioning the dinner that Naomi wasn't going to react well. She just didn't know to what degree the bad reaction would be. "Katie brings home tons of blokes for dinner all the time, so it's not even a big deal."

Naomi chewed on her bottom lip as she let Emily's words ease her reluctance to the idea. "Will I have to dress up?"

Emily smiled. "No, not really. I mean, it's not formal, but it's not jeans and a t-shirt either."

Naomi nodded, her eyes unfocused and far away as if in deep thought.

Emily waited nervously for Naomi's next reply. Instead of saying anything, Naomi just moved back to her place behind Emily, stretching her long legs out down the length of the couch. Emily moved back slightly so her entire backside was pressed up against Naomi's frontside again, which filled her entire body with warmth.

As Emily brought her focus back to the movie that was still playing in front of them, she heard Naomi take in a deep breath before asking her, "So what kind of flowers does your mum like?"

* * *

**Some of you may have noticed that I sped things up a bit...no, not in regards to how fast I posted this new chapter. That would just be crazy. What I mean is, sped things up time-wise in the story. I know, shocking! So basically, if two weeks ago they were having hot sex up against Emily's front door and now they are watching lesbian movies on the couch and eating popcorn, things are going well...very well. ;)**

**6seater and I have spoken endlessly about how the creators of Skins really missed the boat by never making a Naomi Campbell at Fitch Family Dinner scene in Series 4. It's a tall order, but I'm up for the challenge. So coming up next time on Ink: The Fitches meet Naomi...**

**Love to you all. Oh, and Mum Rider, I just about choked on my coffee this morning when I saw the update for Memories & Dust. If anyone has not read that story yet, go read it now and don't make me tell you twice.**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: So, here in LA we had our Gay Pride weekend a few weeks back and I was introduced to a girl named...Ass-ia! I'm not even joking you guys! She told me her name and then I said, "Pardon?" And then she repeated it and I couldn't believe my ears so I just nodded and tried not to laugh with pure delight! Ass-ia! Ass-ia! It's pretty. I really felt like Naomi in that moment. It was amazing. As I am sure you can imagine, I immediately crossed to the other side of the dance floor that was packed with lesbians to find 6seater so I could tell her what just happened.**

**And on that note...**

**Dinner is served. Cheers!**

* * *

Chapter 33

There was a knock on her dorm room door as Naomi checked herself in the mirror above her dresser one last time. She had made an effort for sure, not that Emily had told her to, but it went without saying since this was the first time that Naomi would meet Emily's parents. She was going to meet James too, of course, but after the lewd and egregious stories Emily had told her about the youngest Fitch, Naomi was less focused on making a good impression on him and more concerned that he keep his comments to a minimum.

As she crossed to the door, Naomi took a deep breath and smoothed her skirt. She opened the door to find an adorable girl wearing a green motorcycle helmet and a bright smile.

"Hi!" Emily was beaming while she gave her girlfriend the once over from head to toe and then back again. "You look amazing."

Naomi shook her head and looked down at her outfit bashfully. "I hope I'm not over-dressed. I can change..." She glanced back up at Emily to gage her reaction.

"You're joking, right? Naomi, you look-" Emily took her by both hands and pulled her in close, making sure she had her direct eye contact. "You look beautiful. You _are_ beautiful. You don't need to change one thing about you."

Naomi blushed as Emily leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Thank you."

Emily smiled in reply and then looked a bit sheepish. "There is one thing that I haven't yet mentioned. A flash of worry clouded Naomi's face as Emily bent down to pick something up from the floor just to the left of Naomi's door. Before any real panic set in, Emily popped back up holding a bright orange helmet in her hands. "Katie went over early to help Mum with dinner and you agreed two nights ago to ride my Vespa if I _procured the proper safety equipment_. The last bit was said with an eye roll and a mocking tone.

Naomi folded her arms across her chest in a defensive stance. "I must have misheard you."

Emily dropped the helmet to her side, holding on to the chinstrap. "And what exactly did you hear instead?" _This is going to be good_.

Naomi pursed her lips and looked around the room to stall for time. "Well, I can't be certain. I was very drunk and if I remember correctly, during that particular point of the evening, there were many references made to _riding things_."

Emily's mouth dropped open in shock, her eyes wide and a smile taking over her lips. Naomi loved getting a rise out of Emily. There was just something about making her laugh or surprising her that made Naomi feel important. _I want to spend the rest of my life making you smile._

Naomi bit her bottom lip and exhaled, narrowing her eyes at Emily, "This does explain why you told me to wear my hair straight this evening."

"You're _very_ perceptive." Emily was still smiling from Naomi's innuendo.

Naomi grabbed her coat; Emily held the door for her and on her way into the hallway, Naomi pointed a finger at the redhead and quirked an eyebrow. "You're lucky. I was contemplating taking offense in thinking that you don't like my curls."

Naomi sauntered away as Emily closed the door behind them. It took a few hurried steps for the shorter girl to catch up, but as Emily linked her arm with Naomi's, she smiled up at the blonde and said, "Baby, I _love_ your curls." She winked and her smile turned cheeky.

A small chuckle and a head shake followed by a slight blush on her cheeks was Naomi's only response.

"But seriously, Jenna Fitch will not tolerate helmet hair."

* * *

Katie was on the front steps of the Fitch residence smoking a cigarette when Emily and Naomi pulled up into the driveway. "Thank fuck you're here," Katie shout-whispered as she approached the duo while they dismounted Emily's scooter and pulled their helmets off.

"Always lovely to see you, Katiekins." Naomi tucked her helmet under her arm.

"Since when the fuck do you smoke?" Emily stood with her hands on her hips shooting daggers at her sister.

Katie looked genuinely ashamed of herself as she looked down at the fag in her hand and shifted uncomfortably on her four-inch Louboutins.

"After all the shit you've thrown at me about smoking and we find you out here with this?" Emily snatched the cigarette out of Katie's hand and held it up as evidence.

"It's not like a regular thing or anything. It's just...Mum's been driving me crazy all afternoon and work has been really busy." Katie continued on with her excuses, which were falling on deaf ears as far as her younger sister was concerned.

Naomi shook her head at Katie in a disapproving manner as she gently pulled the still burning fag from Emily's fingers and brought it to her lips. Emily crossed her arms as Naomi took a deep pull and exhaled the smoke into the night air; Katie was still on the hook for this one.

They stood in silence for a moment, Katie looking uncomfortable, Emily looking annoyed and Naomi enjoying the distraction from her nervous state. "It's a lovely night tonight."

* * *

"Mum! Emily and Naomi are here!" Katie alerted Jenna, and the entire household, of their arrival as the three girls entered the foyer and took off their coats.

Jenna came around the corner with a practiced smile that almost hid her disdain. "Thank you, Katie honey. That was both loud and informative."

Emily stepped towards her mum and they exchanged an awkward hug. "Mum, this is Naomi. Naomi, my mum."

Naomi extended her hand and a meek smile that Jenna disregarded entirely as she threw her arms around Naomi and enveloped her in a bear hug. "Naomi, Naomi! It is so lovely to meet you!" Jenna pulled away and held the startled blonde at arm's length. "You are just gorgeous! Isn't she gorgeous, Katie?"

Katie shrugged and headed down the hall. Emily observed the whole thing wide-eyed and at a loss as to how to assist her girlfriend. Naomi held her smile as Jenna wrapped an arm around her shoulders and followed Katie, ushering her right along with her.

Naomi threw a desperate look over her shoulder at Emily who could only lift her hands in puzzlement and blankly shake her head.

* * *

After a quick introduction, a hearty handshake from Rob Fitch, and a slightly sticky one from James, Naomi had the entire Fitch clan smiling at her as they stood in the hallway just outside the dining room.

"Rob? Why don't you take our guests into the..._lounge_ for pre-dinner refreshments while Katie and I finish things up in the kitchen?" Jenna was not asking a questing; she was giving orders.

"Yes dear, that's a lovely idea." He clamped his large hand down on his son's shoulder and led the way. Katie, who wanted a drink more than anything, stomped away in the direction of the kitchen followed by Jenna.

The girls held back a few steps so Emily could lean into Naomi and quietly say, "They're not usually this...formal. The last time Dad was in a tie was for my uncle Ted's funeral and even then he made a fuss."

"They all seem very nice...although your brother's been staring at my tits this whole time."

"He does that."

As they turned the corner, they were met by the giant grin of Rob standing proudly behind a custom-made, cherry wood bar, fully stocked and ready for patrons. "Step right up, Ladies. What can I get for ya?"

Emily's face showed her surprise as she looked around the room. Naomi caught on quickly that this was also something that deviated from the norm in the Fitch home.

"Dad! Oh my God! She finally let you build your man-cave!" Rob's toothy grin was about to break his face in two as Emily ran her hands over the polished surface of the bar and took in the dark wood paneling on the walls and the pool table and dart board and leather chairs.

"He did it while Mum was out shopping. By the time she got back, all the workers had finished and had gone home so it was too late for her to stop him." James offered up the truth of the matter much to Rob's dismay.

"Watch it, Boy! You're already on thin ice for that stunt you pulled in the girl's locker room." Rob shook his finger at his rosy cheeked son who looked down at his shoes.

Naomi had to bite back a laugh. Emily was still amazed by the transformation of what used to be her mother's formal sitting room that was covered in lace doilies and flora curtains. "It's amazing, Dad!" Emily held her hand up to Rob who returned the high-five and finished it with a fist bump.

"Yes, Mr. Fitch. This is quite an impressive man-cave." Naomi was still standing in the doorway observing the family interaction.

"Rob. Call me Rob. Get over here, take a seat." As Naomi made her way over to the bar and took the stool next to Emily, Rob loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves. "Now what are we drinking?"

"I'll have a Jack and Coke."

Rob nodded and repeated Emily's order. "A Jack and Diet for the redhead. And for you, Naomi?"

'The same." Rob set about grabbing glasses and ice.

"I'll have a Cosmo." Naomi looked to her left, surprised to find James sitting very close on the bar stool next to her. Upon hearing his drink order, they all stared at him, waiting for some kind of explanation. "Gordon MacPherson said that bitches love Cosmos. That's how you get into their pants."

"That's twenty reps on the naughty bar, Boy! Go!" Rob pointed to the far corner of the room where an all-in-one home-gym sat. It had the Fitch Fitness logo plastered on every available surface.

James reluctantly climbed off the bar stool and sulked over to the imposing piece of equipment. Naomi and Emily watched the entire ordeal; Naomi looked delighted while Emily looked like she had seen it a hundred times before, which she had.

As Rob finished pouring their drinks, he kept an eye on this son. "One...two. Come on, Boy! Proper extension! Three...at least tighten your core! Four..."

Naomi looked over at Emily with an amused expression. Emily smiled back. "Welcome to Fitch Family Dinner."

After a few calming rounds of drinks in Rob's hideout and an impressive show from Naomi in a game of nineball, dinner was announced by Katie who, upon delivering the message, walked directly behind the bar, and pour herself a shot of vodka, which she downed without flinching.

* * *

Once seated around the six-seater table, James being reassigned to the open seat next to Katie so that Naomi could sit next to Emily, Jenna appeared from the kitchen holding a platter containing a delicious looking roast surrounded by perfectly arranged carrots and potatoes. There was even a garnish of parsley straight out of the Martha Stewart Cook Book. The Fitches stared at the offering in amazement as Jenna placed it at the center of the table.

"Dinner looks incredible, Mrs. Fitch." It seemed that Naomi was the only one at the table who was able to speak.

"Oh please. Call me Jenna, dear."

Katie and Emily exchanged a look.

"You've never let any of my boyfriends call you Jenna." Katie took a large gulp of red wine and immediately refilled her glass.

"Oh Katiekins. Your boyfriends never stick around long enough for us to get to know them. Please help yourselves everyone. Naomi, dear, would you pass the peas?"

As everyone started eagerly filling their plates, Naomi caught the hurt expression flash across Katie's face.

"This is outstanding, Jenna." Rob smiled across the table at his wife as he swallowed a mouth-full of food. "We'll all have to double our calorie burn next week to work off this feast." Jenna smiled at her husband's compliment and took a sip of her wine.

"How come we don't get food like this all the time?" James shoveled another heaping fork-full into his mouth while still chewing the one from before.

"Don't speak with food in your mouth, Boy." Rob scolded James for his bad table manners while still working on his last bite of roast.

If Naomi had to guess, this dinner spread was also a rare occurrence for the Fitches; the boys were already spooning up second helpings.

"So Naomi, tell us a little about yourself." Jenna smiled encouragingly at Naomi who was taking a sip of wine as all eyes turned on her. "Emily told us you're at Goldsmiths. That's a very prestigious university. You must be very intelligent, ambitious, just like our little Emily." Jenna placed her hand on top of Emily's and gave it a squeeze. Katie took another gulp of wine.

"Yes, I was very lucky to obtain a place there. UCL was my first choice, but..." Naomi shrugged and gave Emily a sweet smile.

"It wasn't through school then." Rob carved another slice of roast off for himself. "So, how did you two meet?"

* * *

After stumbling through an awkward retelling of the night they met, leaving out the bits about Jagger shots, tattoos, and lost memories, the Fitch parents seemed content and didn't try to dig for any further information. Naomi did catch the eye roll from Jenna when Effy's name was mentioned and couldn't help but wonder what prompted such a reaction.

"Well, I'm sure you are both excited for the end of the school year. What are your plans for the summer break, Naomi?"

"Oh, well..." Naomi hadn't imagined that this topic would come up in conversation, or perhaps she had just hoped it wouldn't, considering that she hadn't yet told Emily about her plans to spend the summer in Cyprus.

"Naomi's going to Cyprus for the summer." As the rest of the table nodded, Naomi looked over at Emily with surprise written all over her face.

"Oh that sounds just lovely, doesn't it dear?" Jenna looked to Rob for his agreement. "It's been so long since we've had a proper holiday." Rob just nodded and went back to his dinner.

"We should go to Cyprus too! I bet Naomi looks mint in a bikini." The look on James' face made it very clear that he was already working on that mental picture.

Katie did the honors of slapping James across the back of the head since he was out of reach for Emily. Rob looked at James with wide eyes and a maniacal smile that said _you're gonna pay for that later, Boy_.

Jenna did her best to get things back on track. "And it will be so nice for you to have something to keep you occupied while Emily is in Glasgow doing her internship."

Emily had seen it coming the second her mother had brought up the end of the school year. She didn't chance looking over to see Naomi's reaction to the news. Things had been going so well between them that Emily hadn't wanted to spoil things by bringing it up.

"Yes." Naomi cleared her throat and did her best to not let her smile falter. "That is fortunate." The blonde looked down at her plate and prayed for someone to change the subject.

* * *

**I have a feeling that Fitch Family Dinner isn't quite over yet. Stay tuned my lovely readers...the dessert course should prove to be very _revealing_. :)**

* * *

**http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces) or go to my profile and click on the homepage.**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 24**

**by HMHDHB**

**124. Run the Heart- Sleigh Bells**

Intense hand holding. I really stuggled with this pick. Nothing really felt right. So I was complaining about it to 6seater and she suggested this one and I think it works. There is a real strong quiet intensity that matches the scene well. **(Blondie: OMG! Wouldn't it be adorable if Cook and Emily dressed up as Sleigh Bells for Halloween? I'm hoping that by the end of this ridiculous story, you can work in every song off the album….)**

**125. Uncertain Times- the Raveonettes **

Outside the taxi. One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands. I think it suits them here. We all know what we want from them. They know what they want from each other but it's still a bit uncertain. And I think musically, it sounds like a pretty night. **(Blondie: Ah yes…it does sound like a night-time song. And for Naomi in this part…she is very uncertain about pretty much everything.)**

**126. Howlin' For You- The Black Keys**

Stairway makeout. First of all, make out scenes are a fave of mine to pick for because I can just have fun. So, this pick is in the spirit of that. It's just a fun sexy song for a fun sexy scene. **(Blondie: This song does amp up the sexiness for this scene.)**

**SD Vol. 25**

**127. Enchanted- Patrick Wolf**

Making tea. There are certain people that I go to when I don't know what to pick and Patrick Wolf is one of them. I just really love this song for the scene. I like the contrast to the Black Keys song that ended the last chapter. I like the lyrics. I like the simple music. I just really like this song. And it's adorable. **(Blondie: So cute! I really like this song for this scene.)**

**128. Undertow (blackbird blackbird remix)- Warpaint**

The song Emily turns on. Emily is a hipster lesbian, so she has to like at least a few Warpaint songs. **(Blondie: So true.)**

**129. Let the Record Go- The Mynabirds **

Naomi in the bathroom. This is my favorite pick of the chapter because I can see her pacing to it. It's just great pacing music. And the lyrics are pretty good too. And I like the song. **(Blondie: Haha! Yes, this totally works for Naomi's freak out in the bathroom! Ha! It really adds to the scene a lot.)**

Undertow is still playing when Naomi gets back.

**130. Sexy Results- DFA 1979**

Making out on the couch. I'm a big DFA fan and I have always said if I ever was music supervisor of something I would pick this song for a sexy scene. And I sort of am for this, so here we are. I just think the song is super sexy and really sexy for this scene. **(Blondie: I have never heard you use the word sexy this much in all the years that I've known you. But you're right…this is super sexy. Nicely done.)**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Hello! I hope you are all well and enjoying what's left of summer. I'm a bit sad to see it start to fade away; 6seater, on the other hand, is counting down the days until she can revert to her fall wardrobe. Of course, the last official weekend of summer is just around the corner and it's a holiday weekend at that. We'll be spending it in Palm Springs, so I should really just stop my ramble and get on with it, right? Right.**

**I feel like it has been too long since I've made mention of the stories that I love and that keep my Naomily flame burning. So here are a few that you should check out and review after getting your Ink on. The Time of My Life by lazyboo: It's Dirty Dancing Naomily! How could you go wrong? Giving Up the Ghost by trufreak89: Very intriguing so far. Manifolds by Missmaraudeur: I don't want to give anything away; you just need to read it for yourself. The Bend in the Wave by HyperFitched: I mean, come on...it's Hypes, 'nough said. And United Kingdom of Zombieland by gayasawindow: I hadn't seen the movie, but this fic made me want to watch it and I did and I liked it...but the Naomily version is better.**

**Enjoy the new installment of Ink; I already know that it will enjoy you.**

* * *

Chapter 34

The second they were alone, which happened to be upstairs in Emily's bedroom, brought about by Jenna's insistence that Emily take Naomi on a tour of the house while she and Katie cleared away the dinner plates and got dessert ready, Emily could feel the tension between them.

"So...Glasgow, huh?" Naomi walked around the unusually large bedroom looking at the pictures on the walls and the odd nick-nacks placed here and there. None of the decor really seemed like Emily; it looked like something out of a homemaker magazine.

"That's the plan." Emily sat down on the bed and watched Naomi inspect her room.

"And...you already knew about my plans for Cyprus." Naomi picked up a framed photo of Katie and Emily when they were kids, matching haircuts, matching clothes. The blonde smiled down at the picture.

"You might have mentioned it...on the night we met."

"...night we met." They said the last part in unison. Naomi continued wandering around, picking up keepsakes that she assumed belonged to Emily, but it all seemed too well placed, like no one had actually ever lived in this room.

Naomi turned and looked at Emily. "I thought that you and Katie shared a bedroom."

"We did in the old house. My parents bought this one near the end of our last year of college and we _finally_got our own rooms."

Naomi sat down next to Emily. "I bet that was exciting."

Emily shrugged. "I was hardly here anyway."

Naomi tried her best not to allow her brain to follow the line of thinking which would lead her from _Emily hardly slept in her own bed_ to _who's bed was she sleeping in then? _Instead, feeling a bit unreasonably jealous, she focused on what she did have control over. "When were you going to tell me about your internship?" It came out harsher than she had expected.

"When were you going to tell me about Cyprus?" Emily met Naomi's questioning eyes with her own challenging ones. The Fitch Bitch Glare that Katie had been shooting at her mother all evening and that Jenna had been shooting at James each time he said something vulgar appeared quite naturally on Emily's face.

_Seems to be a family trait._ It was the first time that Naomi had received such a look from her girlfriend and it was also the first time that referring to Emily as her girlfriend didn't feel completely foreign. If the blonde wouldn't have immediately put up her shields upon hearing Emily's response, she would have been happy to know that _girlfriend _wasn't as scary as she had always imagined it to be.

"No need for that, is there? You've known this whole time anyway. What's the difference? You could have told me that you knew. You could have brought it up." Naomi folded her arms across her chest. The atmosphere in the room was changing rapidly along with the beating of Naomi's heart.

Emily's eyes went wide as she turned to look at Naomi. "Are you fucking joking, Naomi?"

Naomi's heart was now in her throat. _Wrong thing to say. _Part of her desperately wanted to slam the breaks, turn the car around, rewind the last few minutes, and take a different route, but the other part had four years of the debate team fueling her verbal fire.

"Joking? Yes, Emily. You having the advantage of remembering our first night together has been a laugh riot. And it's really wonderful being reminded of it several times a day too."

"Reminded of it?" Emily got to her feet and turned to face Naomi who was looking up at her with steely eyes. "We've hardly spoken of it, because of _this_." Emily gestured to Naomi sitting on the bed with a sour look on her face. "You get so fucking defensive."

Naomi knew from the look in Emily's eyes that the best thing for her to do in that moment was keep her mouth shut.

Emily deflated and took a breath, which resulted in a heavy sigh. "The thing is, Naomi, meeting you was..." _the best thing to ever happen to me _"unexpected. The whole night was a bit crazy, really. And then things got a bit more complicated, uh...harder to explain. And there are things we haven't talked about fully."

"You filled me in on all the highlights; I can't imagine what's left to discuss." So much for keeping her mouth shut. Naomi tried to make her voice sound bored and uninterested.

Emily looked down at her hands; there was an awkward pause between them. "I just thought that...if maybe there was anything that was still...unclear...anything that didn't make sense...you'd have asked me by now."

Emily watched as Naomi's eyes and face softened; she was convinced that she knew what Naomi was going to say next. Emily had felt it building for weeks, and even though the weather as of late had been nearly perfect most days, it hadn't gone unnoticed by Emily that the blonde had been wearing long-sleeves almost exclusively. It was only when they were alone together, bodies intertwined and skin against skin that Emily got to see the ink on Naomi's wrist.

But as Emily braced herself and tried to prepare, she still couldn't figure out how she was going to tell her the actual truth. _How do you tell the girl you're in love with that she-_

"Well, I mean, there are things that I've been wondering about, one thing in particular that doesn't make any fucking sense at all, but then...the alternative is just...and really, how would I even know if you're telling me the truth?"

Naomi knew it was the worst thing she could have possibly said as she watched Emily's face fall with disappointment. She didn't have time to fumble over an apology or backtrack though; the expression on Emily's face changed from hurt to hellfire at a rate that would have even impressed Katie.

That was one hundred percent NOT the response that Emily thought she was going to get. "So you don't trust me?" Emily crossed her arms as she cocked a hip and an eyebrow.

"No...I do..." She could feel the anger coming off of Emily in waves. _Oh fuck. _"Emily...no, that is not-" Naomi was flailing and grasping for words.

"No, it's fine. Just fucking...forget it." Emily threw her hands up as she turned to walk out of the room.

"Emily, wait!" Naomi lunged toward her and grabbed her arm. Emily spun around and yanked her arm out of Naomi's grasp.

"I wouldn't lie to you." Emily's eyes were pleading. "But, I feel like at this point, it doesn't matter because you don't even care. It's like you'd be perfectly fine just...not knowing."

Naomi had been dreading and avoiding this moment for weeks, but it was there and it had to be addressed. "I trust you, Emily and I...I do want to know...I just...I'm not-"

"Girls! Dessert is ready!" Jenna's voice flew up the stairs and smacked them both across the back of the head.

Emily held her ground, giving Naomi the opportunity to finish. Her deep brown eyes encouraging the blonde to speak.

Naomi opened her mouth, but no words came out. She couldn't do it; she wasn't ready.

Emily exhaled and looked to the floor. "She made a cake. Double chocolate chip cookie. It's my favorite."

* * *

"And then, the old git looked to his left, looked to his right, and took off runnin' like a little girl!" The table erupted with laughter as Rob grinned proudly. "And he's never set foot in my gym again." He shoveled another fork-full of cake into his mouth, savoring the goodness. "You've really outdone yourself, dear." All the heads around the table nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, mum. If you're gonna make decent shit like this, I want Naomi to come over every night." James smiled at Naomi as Jenna's face twisted up in horror.

"Rob!"

"Alright, boy. You know the drill. Get going." Rob pointed in the direction of the naughty bar.

James placed his last bite of cake into his mouth and got up from the table. He gave Naomi a wink as he passed by.

Jenna pushed her plate away and took a sip of her dessert wine.

Naomi prayed that someone would use this interruption to indicate to the table that it was getting late and they should call it a night.

All that Katie was missing were the wings and halo. "Well, this has been fun and all..." She scooted back in her chair and picked up a few of the plates as she stood.

In an effort to make a good impression, but to more importantly speed things up, Naomi, almost too quickly, followed Katie's lead to help clear. She had felt Emily's negative energy surging beside her for the last fifteen minutes and no amount of frosted deliciousness could make it any better. She _had _to get out of there.

"Katie, let me help." Naomi pushed up her sleeves and reached for the cake stand at the center of the table.

Jenna's eyes were like a hawk's. The poor defenseless little E imprinted on Naomi's wrist didn't stand a chance, as Jenna's talons flexed and she swooped in for the kill. "What's that on your wrist, Naomi?" All the friendliness drained from her voice.

Naomi froze in mid-reach. The rest of the bodies at the table stilled. Naomi's eyes closed as she realized her mistake.

Emily looked from her mother to Naomi to Katie to her dad and back around again. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

Rob, who was to Naomi's right, was unable to see what his wife was referring to and also didn't picking up on the sudden disdain in Jenna's voice. "What have you got there, love? Just a bit of icing, no doubt." Rob stood to take a peek at Naomi's wrist; she even turned it up slightly so he could get a better look, no point trying to hide it. Rob's jovial manner slipped away from him as he slowly sat back down in his chair.

"From the look on your face, I'll assume that Emily has told you that we do not approve of mutilation in this household."

If Naomi hadn't been shitting herself at that moment, she would have found Jenna's use of words quite humorous. Instead, she relied on her instincts and chose sarcasm to help her through. "Well, I should hope not. Why? Is the neighbor's cat missing? Do you suspect James?" Naomi whisked the cake stand off the table and headed for the kitchen at a faster than normal speed.

Katie followed, wide-eyed, as Emily pushed back her chair and got to her feet. If only Jenna would have stayed seated, they could have had a chance to escape.

"Well, I must say that I'm surprised, Naomi." She followed the girls into the massive kitchen.

"Actually, mum. You needn't say anything. Naomi is allowed to make her own decisions." Emily stood between her mum and Naomi.

Katie, who had up until now just been wanting to go home, had a front row seat for the showdown and was more than excited to see the _perfect Naomi _get knocked down a peg or two. Lord knows that Jenna never held back with any of her boyfriends.

"Well, of course she can make her own choices, Emily. It's just surprising that such a smart girl would make such a stupid one." Jenna seemed genuinely upset.

Naomi placed the cake stand down on the counter top with a bit more force than necessary. The loud thud punctuated Jenna's remark. Naomi slowly turned around to face her; if scowls could kill...

Emily looked nervous and a bit panicked; Katie looked delighted.

"She has _one _tattoo, mum. I think you're being a bit harsh."

"Just one, you say? Oh, well doesn't that sound familiar." Jenna was ready to pounce.

Emily instantly regretted uttering those words. She hoped her mum would have the good sense not to say what she was certain was coming next.

"If I remember correctly, that's how it started with that Stonem girl and look how she turned out. Disgraceful. As a mother, it's my duty to point out mistakes and guide my children down the right path. Obviously, some mothers aren't as caring as I am."

Emily knew that Jenna was never going to approve of Effy; they'd been having the same argument for years now. Emily was also smart enough to know the Jenna was only mentioning her so she could insult Naomi indirectly to her face. She should have defended her girlfriend. She should have defended her girlfriend's mum. But instead, Emily took the bait that Jenna had expertly laid down. It seemed that old habits die hard.

"Effy is wildly successful, mum. She has appointments booked solid through the end of next year. We get hundreds of calls and emails every day. We have offers for TV; they want us to be the stars of London Ink! How can you say she's a disgrace? She's amazing and accomplished and her mother is incredibly proud and supportive of her just the way she is!"

Jenna gave Emily a patronizing smile before turning her attention on the tattooed blonde standing awkwardly in her kitchen. "You'll have to forgive us, Naomi. This topic always seems to cause a fight. You seem like a very lovely girl, it's just that, whatever it was that compelled you to permanently damage your body like that...well...it's just not something that our family can support."

"Are you sure of that?" Naomi arched a defiant eyebrow at Jenna and held her gaze. She had a million thoughts racing through her brain at hyper-speed, but Naomi Campbell was not going to crack, not yet.

Jenna would never admit it, but deep down, she already knew she wasn't going to win this time. Of course, that wasn't going to stop her from trying. "Yes, Naomi. I am quite sure. But to be fair, go ahead."

"What?" Naomi knew what Jenna was asking, but needed to stall for time.

"Tell me what compelled you to tattoo the letter E on your body. Prove me wrong." Jenna folded her arms across her chest and waited for Naomi's response.

Now it was Emily's turn to wish she could rewind time and start the evening over again. She silently begged for a way out. The doorbell, the phone, James! _Where did James go?_ He was brilliant at causing distractions. And where had her dad escaped to? _Katie!_ Katie could get them out of this. _Say something, anything. _Emily focused on Katie, hoping their twin telepathy would save them all from this impending doom.

"Eastbourne." There was confidence in Naomi's voice, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"I rest my case." Jenna gave Naomi a tight smile. "Rob! James! The girls are leaving. Come and say goodbye." She turned to Emily and wrapped her up in a Fitch hug; Emily kept her arms at her sides. "Get home safe, darling." Jenna gave Katie a hug and thanked her for all her help with dinner. "And loving meeting you, Naomi. Good luck with...everything." Naomi's only response was a polite nod and a forced smile. And with that, Jenna left the kitchen.

"Naomi..." Emily took a cautious step toward the blonde.

"I'd like to go now." She could barely meet Emily's eyes.

"She's a bitch. It's fine. You don't have to-"

"I'll wait outside." Naomi headed for the door.

Emily looked to Katie who only shrugged. "I told you the cuff bracelet was a safer option."

Emily rolled her eyes and followed Naomi out.

* * *

**It can't be all sunshine and rainbows forever, right? The elephant in the room (E is for Elephant, yeah?) has made himself known. I re-watched the scene from S3, E9 between Jenna and Naomi while I worked on this chapter - that scene is SO good! When Naomi says that she doesn't know what Jenna is talking about and then Jenna says, "Yes you do" and gives her that look. And then there's Naomi's broken record proclamation of "I'm not gay." Brilliant! Of course, there was no hope of being able to match that brilliance in this chapter, but I hope the tattoo showdown was mildly dramatic. Wait...E is for Eastbourne. Sorry, my mistake.**

* * *

**Music Time!**

**http:/ www. youtube. com/user/niceoneblondie #p/c/ 7929F3C021782964/3/XYbEU5v_Qz8 (remember to take out all the spaces) or go to my profile and click on the homepage.**

**Shimmering Dreams Vol. 26**  
**by HMHDHB**

**131. Something in The Way- Best Coast**  
Naomi helps Emily out of her dress. All cool girls like Best Coast and this is playing in Emily's room in this little scene. There isn't much to the pick beyond that. I like the song, is that more helpful? **(Blondie: I love the simplicity of Best Coast's love songs and this is a great one for these two. Naomi just mesmerized by Emily and completely clueless to the fact that she should avert her eyes while Emily undresses. Great pick.)**

**132. Teenage Dream- Foxes in Fiction + Weeds**  
Tattoo tour. I know that 6seater doesn't like this version of the song but I love it. And I think it's cute for the tattoo tour. I don't like Katy Perry (unlike my mother) but when it comes down to it, the lyrics of this are kinda sweet and good for our girls. **(Blondie: The lyrics are super cute; that can't be denied. I have such a love/hate thing going on with Katy Perry; it's very confusing. She's like a slutty Zooey Deschanel. It's hard not to like that.)**

**SD Vol. 27**

**133. Tonight- Lykke Li**  
Sexy time. This was really hard to pick. It's not just their first time, but Naomi's as well. I had to do something that was a bit softer, I guess. There is a real sweetness to it all and a vulnerability. I just hope that this song did it justice. I think much like writing a scene like that, picking the music for it is extremely nerve racking. I hope it works because the pick is maybe a bit unusual. **(Blondie: This is perfect! For reals, HMHDHB. Perfect.)**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Holy crap, right? I know. Happy New Year! 2012 is going to be awesome. WAY better than 2011, especially the last half of 2011. The last half of 2011 was a shit heap. So here's a new chapter of Ink. I hope you are all looking forward to the New Year. Cheers!**

* * *

Chapter 35

She wasn't surprised, or at least, she shouldn't have been surprised. Naomi had experienced so many new things with Emily, exhilarating, feverish, heart racing, heavy breathing type things with Emily, that climbing on the back of her Vespa and wrapping her arms around the girl and holding her close to her body while she silently seethed with anger and in all honesty didn't want to touch Emily at all...was just another new thing to experience. _Add it to the fucking list!_

"Naomi..." Emily's eyes were pleading as she stood with her back to their ride home.

"No. I don't want to do this, not now, not in front of your parents' house, standing in the fucking driveway." Naomi couldn't meet Emily's eyes. She looked up with annoyance, she looked down with embarrassment, but she couldn't look into those brown eyes. She knew that it would break her.

"Okay." Emily turned away. She couldn't stand one more second of those blue eyes darting all around, but refusing to land on hers.

The ride back to Emily's was torture. Naomi held on to her like she was a stranger. Emily understood. And as they turned the corner onto the redhead's block, Emily braced herself for the dismount.

Naomi was up and off the scooter before it had even come to a full stop, pulling her helmet from her head and shaking her blonde locks free. Emily had a flash of one of those corny scenes from a movie where the hot chick whips off her disguise and her hair falls perfectly into place even though that would be an impossibility in real life. Except in this case, that hot chick was currently standing in front of her, perfect hair and all, and Emily would have had a silly grin on her face if she wasn't feeling so dreadful at the moment.

"So...um...I'm gonna head home." Naomi still couldn't look Emily in the eye as she extended the helmet for Emily to take.

The redhead stepped onto the sidewalk, but didn't reach out to grab it. Instead she just stared at the blonde.

"Here." Naomi had to make eye contact on the second offering to let Emily know she was serious. But the weight of the orange helmet became too much for her thin arm when she saw the look of hurt and pure sadness on Emily's face and she let it drop limply to her side.

"Don't leave. Come upstairs, we'll have a drink and forget about this whole fucking night, okay?" Emily did her best to push away the feelings that clouded over her and painted on what she hoped was an enticing smile.

"Can't. I've got an early lecture in the morning." Naomi distracted herself by digging in her jacket pocket for her pack of cigarettes. She had learned not to look at Emily directly if she needed to tell a lie.

"Your first class on Mondays isn't until eleven, Naomi."

Naomi flipped open the pack and shook it a bit until one popped up above the others. She gracefully brought the pack to her mouth and gently pulled it free with her lips. As she returned the pack to her pocket and searched for her lighter, she squinted at Emily, debating with herself as to whether or not she wanted to just forget about it like Emily had suggested.

Her debate was cut short when the front door of the tattoo shop flew open, the little bell ringing out into the still night, and Effy appeared on the stoop. The two girls turned their attention on the brunette who gave them no more than a glance before lighting up a spliff and taking a seat on the top step.

"Hey, Ef." Emily looked back at Naomi and tilted her head towards the door that lead up the stairs to her flat. She tossed a cheeky grin at the blonde.

Naomi bit her bottom lip, debating...always debating.

Emily rolled her eyes playfully and walked over to the steps, reaching through the railing and liberating the spliff from between Effy's lips. "Tell Naomi she should stay and hang out a bit. She doesn't have class until eleven." Emily turned back to the blonde and smirked as she took a deep drag off the spliff.

Effy cocked her head in Naomi's direction, "Stay, Naomi. We'll call Panda over for a game of Twister." Effy's voice dripped with sarcasm and boredom. Emily chuckled and handed the spliff back. Naomi stayed rooted in her spot.

"Thanks, but I'm not in the mood for games."

"Not a problem." Effy locked eyes with Naomi and took another drag. "I am more than capable of keeping Emily entertained." She exhaled a thick trail of smoke into the crisp air.

Naomi glanced over at Emily who was taking another giant hit off the spliff. "I can stay for a bit."

* * *

_A bit_ turned into a while and _a while_turned into a few hours and then it was past midnight and Naomi couldn't figure out why she kept making excuses not to leave. She really was quite tired, all the anxiety of the impending dinner with The Fitches, followed by the actual dinner with The Fitches, followed by... Naomi shook her head and took another sip of the beer she had been nursing for an hour. And while her lecture wasn't until eleven the next day, she had planned to get up at a respectable time and work on her final paper for one of her politics classes. But somehow, her plans as of late, just never really seemed to stay in place.

Emily was pulling another beer out of the fridge as Naomi glanced at her watch again. "Naoms! You ready for another?" Emily held up a can from where she stood behind the desk of the shop. Effy had turned the music up some time ago to the level in which everyone had to shout to be heard.

Naomi gave her a weak smile and held up the lukewarm beer in her hand. "I'm good! Thanks though!"

Emily nodded and cracked open the can for herself, taking an impressive chug before stealing the half smoked spliff from between Effy's fingers. Effy, who was perched on the counter top holding court for a group of eager blokes who had wandered in asking about appointments, didn't seem to notice.

Emily made her way over to the couch that Naomi had been rooted to since they entered the shop and sat down next to her, waiting for Naomi to put her arm around her shoulders before relaxing against her. "Hey there." Emily smiled at the blonde. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused. She held the spliff up to Naomi's lips, giving her a Cheshire grin.

Naomi smiled back, but it didn't reach her eyes. "No thanks."

"What's wrong?"

Naomi's grip on her beer can tightened and her face flushed with heat. The music was too loud and there was too much smoke in the air. And Effy was acting like a slut, as always, and letting those disgusting boys flirt with her and touch her. And her girlfriend was drunk and high on a school night. _And did she really just ask me what's wrong? _Naomi tried to take a breath.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just tried."

Emily nodded and took the last drag off the spliff before crushing it out in the ashtray on the coffee table and setting her beer down. She turned back toward Naomi with a naughty glint in her eyes. "We better get you in bed then." Emily leaned in to kiss the blonde as her hand curved around the back of her neck to pull her closer.

As Emily's lips pressed against hers, Naomi caught a glimpse of one of Effy's _admirers_ nudging one of his buddies in the ribs and gesturing towards them with a disgusting leer on his ugly face. Naomi grasped Emily's wrist and pulled back from the kiss, sinking into the couch to try to hide from view.

"Don't stop on our account, girls."

"Yeah. Kiss her!"

The jeers and chuckles registered in Emily's clouded mind and she spun around to confront the source. "Hey tossers, you mind being cunts somewhere else?"

"Emily." Naomi's voice was small.

The taller of the blokes, the alpha who had been trying to get his hand up Effy's skirt for the last hour, turned his full attention on the two girls sitting on the couch. The look on his face made it clear that he did not appreciate being called a cunt, especially not in front of his lackeys and the girl he was trying to bone. "What did you call me?" He took a step toward Emily.

Emily got to her feet in a shot. "I called you a cunt, cunt."

Naomi could feel her eyes bugging out of her head as she sat frozen on the couch.

"And 'ere I thought your friend was the feisty one." He took another step toward Emily, his fists clenched at his sides.

It was then that Naomi finally opened her eyes. He wasn't just some lad out for a laugh with his friends; he was a man, an adult man with huge hands and tattoos across his knuckles who towered over Emily and out weighted each of them by double. And his friends weren't too far off either. This wasn't good. This was very, very bad.

In a club or out at a bar, there were bouncers and security and just other people around in case someone tried to mess with you. Naomi felt completely helpless, impotent, down right scared, and there was no one to save them.

She could see the big brut eying Emily up and down as a sinister grin spread across his face.

"Don't you dare fucking touch her!" The words were out of her mouth before she knew what was happening. Naomi found herself standing in front of Emily, protecting her from the danger, little good that was going to do in the end.

The man puffed out his chest and sneered down at the frighten blonde before him...

...and then the whole room erupted in laughter.

They were all in hysterics as Naomi's eyes darted from the man to Effy to the other guys back to the man and finally landed on Emily. The redhead was struggling to catch her breath as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Naomi, that was the cutest-" Emily couldn't stop laughing.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Didn't mean to scare, ya." The man clamped his giant hand down on her shoulder while he also struggled to quell his giggles. "Emsy and I were just taking the piss like always. No harm meant by it."

Naomi was dumbstruck and could feel the blush of embarrassment covering her cheeks. She glanced over at Effy who smirked down at her from her perch. The other guys were already over it and had turned their attention back to Effy's long legs that were well on display.

Naomi tried to play it off, unsuccessfully. "Yeah...course. I figured as much." She tried to smile, but there was a lump of humiliation in her throat. The man gave her a playful pat on the back and turned back to his friends. "I like her."

Emily snaked her arm around Naomi's side and gave her a squeeze. "That was hot." She wasn't very convincing since she was still holding back chuckles.

Now that the room had returned to normal and no one was paying attention to her, Naomi let out a groan and slowly closed her eyes, covering her face with her hands.

"What? No. Come on." Emily placed both hands on Naomi's shoulders and tried to lighten the mood. "You were really intimidating."

Naomi let her hands fall to her sides and exhaled a pathetic sigh as she looked up to the ceiling. "I'm gonna go."

"No. Stay. Let's go upstairs and I can thank you properly for saving me from the bad man." Emily grinned, but Naomi did not find it amusing.

"Fuck off, Em." Naomi shoved passed her and out the door. The jingle of the tiny bell could barely be heard above the music and chatter as the door swung closed behind her.

* * *

Naomi was almost to the end of the block before she heard Emily calling for her to wait. She stopped and wiped the tears from her eyes. She was sure that she looked a right mess, but tried to compose herself anyway. She pulled out her pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket and turned to face the street, glancing at the redhead jogging toward her. As she lit up, Emily slowed down and walked the last few steps.

"I don't fucking appreciate my fucking girlfriend telling me to fuck off." Emily stood in front of Naomi, ready to give her a piece of her mind. She looked up to find fresh tears in Naomi's eyes; one escaped and slid down her cheek. "Naomi?" Emily's face was full of concern and she took a step closer, raising her hand to wipe away her tears.

Naomi backed away, dodging Emily's gesture. The smaller girl recoiled. "I'm sorry."

"For what, Emily? What are you sorry for?" Naomi's voice was breaking, but she held strong.

"I, I'm sorry for everything, okay? Can we just go back and talk, please? All those guys are gone and Effy went home. We can just go upstairs and go to sleep, if you want. I'm sorry. This whole night has been shit."

"You didn't stand up for me with your mum."

Emily opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.

Naomi took a drag of her cigarette and let out a shaky exhale. "You sang all of Effy's praises..."

"Look. It's my mum. She's had it out for Effy for years; it's complicated and I get angry, you know. Listen, I'm just too drunk and stoned right now to have this conversation."

"Then go." Naomi's patience was at its end. "I didn't come chasing after you. Go home! That's what I've wanted to do for the last three hours. I'd like to be on my way."

Emily clenched her jaw and gave Naomi a small nod. She couldn't tell if she was angry or sad, maybe both.

"We can talk tomorrow then." Emily looked down at her feet.

"Yeah." Naomi dropped the last of her fag on the ground and stubbed it out with her shoe. And without another word, she turned and walked away. Emily watched her until she turned the corner and was out of sight.

She made her way back down the block, feeling tired and wretched, head hanging low.

"Hey."

Emily looked up with a start. Effy stood next to Emily's door, leaning against the bricks.

"I thought you left." Emily got her keys out of her pocket.

Effy shrugged, producing her own set of keys and beating Emily to the punch. She unlocked her door and held it open for Emily, her long, thin arms were bare and Emily couldn't help but admire the gorgeous ink proudly on display.

Without thinking, Emily reached out and softly traced the lines on Effy's arm. She looked up into the icy blue eyes that were studying her. "Thank you."

"For what?" Effy stared into Emily's dark brown eyes.

"For staying."

Emily turned and headed up the stairs. Effy followed, letting the door slam shut behind them.

* * *

**Feeling a bit rusty, to say the least. I've missed this; I've missed you all. I'd love to hear what you thought of the new chapter and Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches will have new song picks soon! Until next time…**

**xoxo**

**Blondie**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Well look who it is! Yeah, that's right. I'm talking to you. All you gorgeous Naomily fandomettes out there. I know I've been AWOL, again, and I've run out of excuses. Literally, I have none. I'm in no position to ask anything of you, but I do hope that you enjoy what follows. **

**Happy One-Year and Three-Hundred-Sixty-Three-Day Anniversary Ink! I am now going to drink some whiskey and smoke a spliff to celebrate. (Shit! Out of whiskey.) Vodka it is!**

* * *

Chapter 36

There was something soothing, or perhaps more aptly, mind-numbing, about the repetitive, low rumble of the washing machines and off-beat rattle of the tumble dryers that kept Naomi contentedly sat atop the work surface in the student housing laundry room. The book she was reading was surprisingly one hundred percent for entertainment value only; she knew trying to read anything school-related would be futile. Her overactive brain hadn't taken a break all day and while she had attended all of her lectures in body, she had most definitely not been there in mind.

Realizing she was once again distracted by thoughts of the night before, the disastrous dinner, Effy's moronic friends, the tearful walk back to her room, Naomi marked her page and set her book aside. Unfolding her legs and letting them dangle, the blonde reached above her head in a satisfying stretch. As she brought her arms back down, she removed her glasses and gave them an unneeded cleaning with the hem of her t-shirt. The dryer buzzed as Naomi studied the spotless lenses and slipped her black frames back on.

Naomi hopped off the counter and opened the dryer door, reaching in to grab her delightfully warm and fluffy- "Fucking hell." As soon as her fingertips touched the first item, she couldn't hold back the expletives. "You fucking heap of useless tin!" Naomi slammed the dryer door shut and gave the machine a kick for good measure.

"And what did that machine ever do to you?"

Naomi spun around to face the person with the voice she could never grow tired of. "What are you doing here? You need a cardkey to gain entrance into this facility." The blonde folded her arms across her chest, trying to look unfazed by Emily's unexpected entrance.

Emily took a step into the laundry room and let the door shut behind her. "This weird guy let me in. Looked a bit like Jesus."

Naomi bit her bottom lip. She didn't want to be happy to see Emily. She wanted to sulk and feel bad for herself and eat a pint of chocolate ice cream using a Garibaldi as a spoon. Instead, she had to suppress the smile making its way across her face. "The damned thing took my money and had me sitting here for the entire cycle just so it could toss my knickers around for an hour with no heat! Everything is still sodding wet."

Emily did a terrible job of holding back a smirk. Naomi blushed and turned her attention back to her troublesome laundry. Opening the door of another dryer, the lanky blonde started transferring her clothes over.

"I bet you're not the first to use that one either. People can be so inconsiderate sometimes." Emily took a few steps closer while removing her leather jacket and tossing it on a chair. "I mean, how hard is it to post an out of order sign?" Emily was wearing an old Joan Jett t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off; her tattoo of the lake stood out vibrantly in the dull room. "It's just incredibly stupid and idiotic and whomever used it last should be made to come down here and apologize to you for being a stupid idiotic...wanker."

The redhead was now standing very close to the blonde who still had her back to her. She reached out and gently placed her hands on Naomi's hips who slightly stiffened from the sudden contact; the shuffling of wet clothes halted. "Huge, gigantic wanker." The last bit was whispered into the soft, blonde wisps of hair that refused to be confined in a ponytail. "Who is very, very sorry."

She couldn't help but let her eyes close as Emily's arms wrapped around her midsection and she felt the redhead's warm cheek press against her shoulder blade. "I can only assume that this inconsiderate, idiotic wanker you speak of is purely fictional and should only be regarded as a hypothetical example of society's selfishness and unwillingness to post out of order signs on laundry equipment."

Naomi could feel Emily smile as the shorter girl tightened her hold on the blonde and brought her body flush against her backside. She let herself relax into the embrace and covered Emily's small arms with her own. Emily placed a firm kiss between her girlfriend's shoulder blades; the heat from her skin radiated through the thin cotton. She mumbled something that Naomi couldn't quite make out. "What was that?"

Emily pulled back slightly from the warmth she was so enjoying. "I said, it's me."

Naomi smirked, knowing full well what Emily was referring to, but wanted to keep her dangling a bit longer. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite-"

Emily took in a sharp breath and tilted her head up, eyes closed, chin resting on Naomi's shoulder. "The stupid wanker is me. I'm the wanker!"

"Well, obviously. I thought we were on to a new topic." Naomi's tone was playfully serious.

Emily spun the blonde around to face her. "Cheeky!" Naomi cracked a smile to match Emily's and pulled the redhead into her by the hips. Emily wrapped her arms around Naomi's neck as their bodies became fully connected once again. It always felt so much better with Naomi in her arms. "But I am, Naoms. I'm very sorry about last night. I said all the wrong things and behaved badly. You were right."

Naomi took in a big breath and narrowed her eyes. "I reckon you could be forgiven."

"You reckon?"

Naomi wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily. "With enough convincing, I'm sure I could come around to the idea of forgiving you for being such a complete tosser."

Emily somehow managed to tighten her grip around Naomi's neck and press her body even closer. She made sure her hip was pressing into Naomi in just the right spot. Emily loved the way the taller girl's pupils began to dilate as she watched her quickly wet her lips and swallow.

There was always this moment with Naomi, this moment right before they kissed that she loved the most. When Naomi's vibrant blue eyes grew dark with want, hesitation, desire, vulnerability...but above all else...love. It had been like that from the start. "I'm in love with you, Naomi."

Everything stilled as those words floated in the air between two sets of parted lips. Emily searched Naomi's eyes; she prayed that their owner wouldn't force them to look away or break contact. She knew that Naomi's eyes would tell her the truth; they always did.

She didn't get a chance to decipher a reciprocation; Naomi's lips were on hers immediately. If nothing else, it was definitely a confirmation. She felt the blonde's hands leave her hips and travel up to her face. Both palms cupped her cheeks as their mouths sought out one another in a passionate kiss.

Emily's face was cool to the touch; it reminded Naomi that Emily had most likely ridden her Vespa over to the campus. She imagined the cool night air nipping at Emily's rosy cheeks. In almost the same moment, Naomi was reminded that she was currently snogging her girlfriend like there was no tomorrow in the middle of the common laundry facility that all the students had access to.

Naomi pulled back from the kiss just enough to speak, her mouth close, eyes closed, still holding Emily's face in her hands. "Someone might come in." Their lips found each other's again. Naomi gripped the back of Emily's head as her other hand slid down the side of her neck to her collarbone, hovering on the spot right above Emily's breast.

Her back slammed into the wall of dryers behind her as Emily pushed her against them with measured force. "I want you now." Emily barely got the words out before Naomi's lips and tongue stopped her speech. Naomi glanced over at the door, her taller stature made it easy to steer Emily towards it while maintaining their kiss. She hadn't meant for it to be as hard as it turned out to be, Emily's back colliding against the back of the door. She also couldn't have imagined Emily's positive reaction to being slammed against the back of the door. Her immediate reflex was to apologize for being rough, but that quickly fell by the wayside as Emily growled into her mouth and dug her fingernails into her skin.

"Fuck." It was barely a word, more like a cry of desire as Emily tipped her head back and exposed her neck to Naomi's wet mouth. Given the chance, Naomi grouped for the doorknob and located the lock. As she flipped it into place, Emily gripped on to the front of Naomi's jeans, locating the button and zipper. They were both undone within seconds. It was only seconds later that Naomi gasped as Emily's fingers touched her eagerly.

"Emily. Yes." Naomi was breathless and panting into Emily's ear as she held onto her shoulders, her legs suddenly feeling weak. She fought the urge to give into Emily's touch. She needed to control this; she needed to have Emily moaning in her ear if this was going to happen. And Naomi was now very determined to make this happen.

She used all the strength she could muster and moved Emily to the side of the room that contained a waist-high bench, presumably for students to do their course work on while waiting for their clothes to dry. Naomi had other intentions for its usage now and Emily had undoubtedly picked up on it as she gripped the edge of the bench and lifted herself up onto it.

The redhead had to dip her head slightly to reach the blonde's lips; she enjoyed the reversed height dynamic as Naomi tilted her head up to meet Emily's. She felt hands grasp onto her hips as she was pulled to the edge of the counter, her knees sliding passed Naomi's hips. It wasn't long before she felt those same hands run down her thighs and back up across the tops of them, leaving a trail of tingling heat.

Naomi missed where Emily's fingers had been just moments before; she was aching for them to return. She needed to touch Emily as well and fumbled with the button and zipper of her tight, black jeans. Once undone, Naomi yanked them down just enough to slide her hand down the front of Emily's knickers. They both moaned at the contact, which was followed by a gasp as Emily felt Naomi's fingers enter her hard and fast.

Her legs wrapped around Naomi as she held on to her shoulders. Emily's skin was on fire; she wanted more of Naomi. She reached down between their bodies to where she had left her girlfriend's jeans undone. Her fingers quickly found a rhythm that matched Naomi's as they slid against her.

Naomi, feeling the welcomed strokes, moaned deeply into Emily's mouth and thrust into her harder. They were locked in now. No more maneuvering or positioning, just their bodies working together, their greedy mouths claiming each other. Their hands gripping on to whatever they could find to keep them exactly where they were at that moment.

It was all very fast then. Emily's nails digging into the flesh of Naomi's shoulder as she cried out in release. Naomi gripping Emily's back as she came in shuddering waves. Their foreheads resting against each other as they tried to catch their breath.

Naomi blinked a few times, her sight was blurry. She looked into Emily's eyes through the fog and could just make out a smile.

"I seem to have fogged up your glasses." Emily carefully slid them off the blonde's face and began cleaning them with her t-shirt.

Naomi blinked a few more times, squinting a bit, as her eyes tried to adjust. She let out an exaggerated breath. "Phew! For a second there, I thought that you'd fucked me blind."

Emily's eyes widened in surprise, but a cheeky smile spread across her face just as quickly. She loved it when Naomi made crass remarks in an attempt to shock her. She loved everything about her girlfriend and now she had told her, out loud, with words, she was in love with Naomi Campbell.

She carefully placed the blonde's glasses back on her face and as they straightened their clothes, Emily tried not to think about the fact that Naomi hadn't said it back.

* * *

**That little laundry room romp has been floating around in my head for quite some time now. It was the delightful Suzylou who suggested it many, many months ago so you can thank her for that sexy scenario. **

**HMHDHB sends her love. She also promised to work on some song picks as long as I agreed to do her taxes. Your taxes will be done tomorrow, HMHDHB. So get on it!**

**An update and tax preparation in the same week, you ask! Well, the incomparable 6seatertable is in Nashville all week so I've had some lonely, lonely nights. I love you, baby. This one's for you. Come home soon!**

**Until next time…**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: All I have to say is that Coachella is the best and bronchitis is the worst! My favorite act this year was Azealia Banks, hands down. My favorite amenity was the full bar. Thank you, Coachella, for finally realizing after 12 years that not everyone wants to drink gallons of Heineken. Also, Rihanna showed up for the Calvin Harris set and sang her hits. That was an amazing surprise! Now, only 11 months to go until next year. Le sigh.**

* * *

Chapter 37

The lazy breeze coming in from the open window gently cooled the light sheen of sweat that covered their bare skin. Emily's naked back, Naomi's hands that were still clutching on to her, gripping her hip and the ink on her shoulder, a leg that had escaped from under the covers. They felt the chill of the evening air as Emily kissed Naomi slowly, caressing her lips with her own, as their bodies relaxed and their other senses regained their abilities.

Naomi was still trying to catch her breath as Emily slowly pulled her fingers from between the blonde's thighs and let her body slide off of hers and to the side. She rolled onto her back and brushed a few strands of damp red hair away from her eyes as she let her muscles melt into the soft sheets. Suddenly, feeling very naked with the absence of Emily's body on top of hers, Naomi pulled the covers up to her chin.

Emily was enjoying the come-down, sheets at her waist, nipples hard, chest heaving; she felt overheated and a bit light-headed, riding out her high. They had been at it for hours; it had helped take her mind off of those five little words she had confessed without getting a reply, but now everything felt a bit cramped in Naomi's single bed, suffocating. There was no space between their bodies, no room to move. Emily tucked her right arm behind her head. "Remind me to take you back to my place next time we're going to fuck all afternoon. Your bed is shit."

Naomi turned onto her side, leaning on her elbow, head resting against her hand. She smiled down at the redhead who was occupying her extra pillow; her fingers immediately started tracing the lines of Emily's tattoos, the ones that were visible anyway. She wanted to say that what they had just been doing was far more than simply _fucking_, but she didn't. "You could barely make it up the stairs without undressing me. I highly doubt you'd have been up for the commute back to yours."

Emily grinned back at the blonde. "You fucked me in your school's laundry room. I thought the stairwell would be a conservative choice in comparison."

Naomi bit her bottom lip and a blush covered her cheeks. She still couldn't believe she had done _that_. _Wait until I tell Cook! He probably won't believe it either. He'll say he's finally rubbing off on me. _Naomi tried to hold back what some might call a smug grin as her fingertips lingered over her favorite of Emily's pieces - the antique key beneath her breast. The one that was given no explanation. The one that was still healing when she saw it for the first time all those weeks ago. The one she couldn't bring herself to ask about.

"You've _still _never told me about this one." Naomi changed her focus and stroked the length of Emily's upper arm. The light coming in from the street picked up the bright colors of her half-sleeve tattoo; the greens of the tree leaves always caught Naomi's eye. Green reminded her of the redhead.

Emily turned her head to follow Naomi's line of sight, almost as if she had to remind herself what it was that Naomi was referring to. She let out a measured breath. "I was going to. I mean, I skipped it originally when I told you about the others and I haven't mentioned it since, because...I kind of wanted to see if you'd remember it on your own." Emily looked over at Naomi's face to catch her reaction. "Like, you'd see it one day and it would just pop into your head and you'd remember everything I told you about it on the night we met. You know, like some of the other things you've remembered."

And there is was. Naomi's expression changed the way it always did when Emily mentioned that night; she could see her jaw muscles clench, her blue eyes all of a sudden looked dull. It made Emily's heart ache every time she saw that look, but she couldn't bring herself to keep on ignoring it like Naomi did. Just mentioning that night made Naomi sad as opposed to the way it made Emily's heart swell and instantly brought a smile to her face. She hadn't lost hope, not really, but each day they spent together was another day further away from those memories. Perhaps it was time to finally admit to herself that they were truly lost.

_Why can't you just leave it?_ Naomi recognized the look on Emily's face, _disappointment. _She forced a smiled and shook her head. She wasn't about to let the conversation go down that road again. They just made up. She had to divert, keep it light. Naomi looked a bit apprehensive under her cheeky grin, but she hoped Emily would take the bait. "I was one of those girls, wasn't I?"

"One of what girls?" Emily frowned in question.

"Oh come on, Ems." Naomi rolled her eyes and made her voice high and girly. "Oh wow! Your tattoo is so beautiful. What made you pick this design? Does it have a special meaning?"

Emily regarded her with a raised eyebrow.

"It looks so sexy on you. Did it hurt? Can I touch it?" The blonde flipped her hair and giggled for good measure.

"Are you finished?"

"I'd love to see your other tattoos sometime. Here's my number. Call me."

Emily waited for Naomi to put a pin in her dumb blonde act.

"Okay. I'm done now." Naomi looked pretty proud of herself.

"First of all, no, you were not like _one of those girls_. And secondly, whatever that was," Emily motioned towards Naomi, "rarely happens."

Naomi's eyes went wide. "Like hell!" She dramatically fell back on her pillow with a soft thud and stared up at the ceiling, her hands reaching up in exasperation. "Let's think, shall we? At the bar, at the club, while you're working..." Naomi added emphasis by counting on her fingers. "At the cinema, at the market while we're picking up groceries for dinner, every time you get your color done! Your stylist wants you bad; you've told me some of the things she said to you so don't even try to deny it."

Emily was now propped up on her elbow watching Naomi's theatrics with an adoring smile on her face. "Fine. It does happen, on occasion, but I repeat, you were not like that. You didn't even seem to notice my tattoos until later on. Or maybe you were just playing it cool."

"Doubtful. The last imaginable explanation for my actions that night could never be related to anything _cool_."

"I don't know about that...I thought you were pretty cool."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not!" Emily teasingly poked Naomi in the ribs, trying to tickle her. Naomi squirmed out of the way and caught Emily's left hand with her right. They intertwined their fingers, pulled them apart, together again, fingertips crossed down a palm and then back up to the tips, soft skin played with soft skin, stilling only slightly before the eight fingers and two thumbs started the messy pattern all over again.

Emily scratched her nails down Naomi's palm, down to her wrist; she slowly traced the ink of her E, her deep brown eyes locking on to the black lines that formed the letter's shape. "You were just so relaxed and confident and easy to talk to...and clever! You made me laugh, a lot." Emily leaned down and kissed Naomi on the collarbone. As she brought her head back up, her brown eyes caught Naomi's blues. "I wanted to keep talking to you all night."

Naomi found it hard to believe. Emily was never at a loss for company. She'd observed Emily talking to loads of girls when they were out, waiting at the bar, in line for the loo, anytime Naomi left her side for a moment. Girls flocked to her like moths to a flame; it was probably the hair. And Emily always smiled at them and leaned in close as they exchanged names, laughed at what Naomi had to assume were lame chat-up lines. If Emily wasn't expected to return with their drinks, Naomi was sure she could talk to any one of those girls all night long and have a great time!

Naomi figured that Emily was just trying to make her feel good, which was nice. "Speaking of talking all night," Naomi brought Emily's hand to her lips and placed a kiss on her knuckles, "could we perhaps talk about what happened last night?" She could feel Emily tense beside her. "I've been thinking about everything and I know that-"

"Of course we can." Emily plastered on a fake smile. "But first, I'm dying for the loo." Emily untangled her hand from Naomi's and quickly got out of bed, searching for her discarded clothes among the pile that littered the dorm room floor.

Naomi partially sat up, resting on her elbows, and watched Emily's mad dash to get dressed.

"Hey, you know what sounds good right now?" Emily hopped into her jeans, while scanning the floor for her top. "Italian food." Emily's eyes were bright as she looked to the blonde for confirmation.

"Okay..." Naomi let the word hang in the air with a questioning tone. She didn't know what to make of this sudden change in topic. She wanted to talk to Emily, not get dinner. They had so much to discuss. She wanted to have a conversation about their fight the night before. As well as everything leading up to the fight, the mess she had caused at the family dinner, the apparent feud between Jenna and Effy, Emily's summer internship, Cyprus perhaps!

"We'll talk. I promise." Emily pulled her top over her head and stepped into her shoes. "I'll be right back." Emily slipped out the door, throwing a quick smile in Naomi's direction.

* * *

As the door closed behind her, Emily exhaled a deep breath and pulled her phone from her pocket. She had heard it beep at some point during her sexathon with Naomi, three short beeps instead of just two, but her hands had been otherwise occupied at the time, not to mention how inappropriate that would have been. She had one unread message from Effy.

Hey Tiger. Lst nite was  
fun. Lets hve a repeat  
2nite. C U soon. xx E.

A bright smile spread across Emily's face as she typed out a reply while hurrying down the hall towards the shared bathrooms.

Just like old times :)  
Not sure when I'll be  
back. Still with N.  
She wants to "talk"  
x E.

Emily hit the send button as she pushed open the door marked _Ladies. _She found it silly, really; there was no other option on this girls-only floor, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment. She slid her phone into her back pocket and went to one of the sinks. Luckily, she was the only one in there.

She turned on the tap, letting the cold water run over her hands and wrists as she leaned over the basin, her forearms resting on the edge of the counter. Emily took in another big breath and splashed a bit of water on her cheeks, exhaling as the droplets ran down to her chin.

Emily glanced up at her reflection in the mirror; she looked a sight! Sex hair, smudged eyeliner, her lipstick was a disaster, turning off the tap and grabbing a few paper towels from the dispenser on the wall, Emily set about cleaning up her face. She decided that Fright House Clown was not a good look on her. _No wonder she didn't say it back._

The sound of three muffled beeps filled the silent room. Emily tossed the paper towels in the bin and checked her phone. A reply from Effy:

Must b nice 2 hve a  
boss that'll cover ur  
shift. UR supposed  
2 close 2nite. Thx 4  
the notice. E.

"Shit." Emily checked the time; she was due at the shop in ten minutes. Emily quickly typed a reply.

I forgot. I'm sorry. Lost  
track of the time and  
day apparently. I can  
be there by half past.  
xxE.

Emily hurried out of the bathroom. On the walk back to Naomi's room, she prepared her departure speech and prayed that Naomi would accept a rain check on their talk. Her phone beeped again just as she was about to knock.

Don't bother. Panda's  
on her way. She must  
b an amzing fuck if u  
can't evn remembr  
what day it is. E.

Emily shook her head at the screen and tried to hold back a sneer.

Careful Ef. You  
almost sound like  
you care. It's a bit  
late for jealousy  
don't you think?

Her thumb hovered over the send button as she read back the text. Emily pressed menu instead and discarded the message. She knew better than to get into it with Effy right now, especially when she was the one in the wrong. She knew better than to make Effy's words into something other than just a friendly jibe, best to ignore it. After all this time, Effy could still get to her; Emily wanted to hate it. She wondered if it would always be like this or if there would come a time when Effy Stonem would stop making her hold her breath.

She put her phone back in her pocket, letting out a defeated sigh, and knocked on her girlfriend's door.

* * *

**Thank you all for reading, as always. I'm thinking the next few chapters are going to wrap up the last half of Act II (speaking in screenwriting terms). I'm looking forward to turning up the drama knob a bit, a little angst, maybe some tears and regrets…the return of Arsia. *grins with delight***

**If any of you darlings are wondering about music…not sure what to tell you. Here's Hi Mom Hi Dad Hi Bitches' profile link http:/ /www. Fanfiction .net/u/2291610/ Hi_Mom_Hi_Dad_Hi_Bitches. Maybe if you ask nicely, she'll, in the words of Katie Fitch, "pull her fingers out" and work on some song picks. It's worth a shot at least.**

**Until next time…**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: As most of you have already guessed, I am only posting a new chapter of Ink in hopes that SomeAreLakes will also update her amazing story, The Bengal Tiger. Last month, we posted new chapters on the same day. Sometimes we are within days of each other. Keep your fingers crossed...maybe it will happen again!**

* * *

Chapter 38

Emily used the last bite of her garlic bread to scoop up the remaining marinara sauce from the paper plate in front of her. They had walked over to the pizza place near Naomi's building and sat down at one of the small tables just out front of the shop. Naomi looked down at her half eaten slice of veggie supreme as Emily finished off her beer, wiped her mouth, and threw her crumpled paper napkin where her meal used to be. "Fuck me, that was good!"

"Someone was hungry." Naomi took a sip of her own beer, which was also only half consumed.

"You do remember what we were up to for the last several hours, right?" Emily leaned in over the table towards Naomi. "You made me work up an appetite." Emily practically purred the last bit; her voice was hoarse from all the moaning, and quite a bit of screaming, that had accompanied what they had been up to for the last several hours. Emily gave Naomi a wink that was able to make her look even sexier than normal.

The corner of Naomi's mouth turned up into a half-grin. Her girlfriend was sexy, undeniably, irrefutably sexy and that was normal. She looked gorgeous from the moment she woke up in the morning until she fell asleep at night, her head resting on the blonde's shoulder, her body snuggled in as close as possible. Naomi felt so fucking lucky, but luck was never something the logical and rational Naomi Campbell would ever count on.

"You want another beer?" Emily halfway stood up, but paused to get Naomi's response.

The pessimist in Naomi always had her doubts. Perhaps a good buzz would help facilitate their chat. "Yes please."

The little redhead rounded the table on her way back inside and let her fingers drag along the length of Naomi's arm. "I'll be right back."

Naomi smiled up at Emily as she passed by and then exhaled a stifled sigh. _Bottoms up._The blonde tipped her head back and drank down the second half of her pint in one go.

Emily's playful smirk slid off her face as she got in line behind a couple of university kids. She had been on edge through their entire meal, including the walk from Naomi's building. Why did they have to _talk_? Why couldn't Naomi just forget about their bad night? What good was talking going to do? Talking had never helped her out in the past.

The past. Her past. _Their _past. She had been so stupid to get into yet another argument over Effy, especially in front of Naomi. Why couldn't Emily just stop trying to convince her mother that _that Stonem girl_ was an acceptable friend for her to spend time with? It was over, done with, never going to happen. It had been years with no success and yet she couldn't let it go long enough to defend her _actual _girlfriend's tattoo. Why? Emily refused to let herself believe that a small letter on a wrist just couldn't measure up when compared to Effy's full-sleeves.

Back at the little two-top out front, Naomi lit a cigarette, inhaling a long drag and setting her pack and lighter on the worn wooden surface. _So, I've been thinking... No. Emily, I've really enjoyed our time together... No. _Naomi took another drag and ran her fingers through her hair, her bottom lip pinned down by her teeth. _The semester is almost over and we both need time... No! _

When faced with a topic on social injustices or popular political agendas, Naomi could blather on for eons with eloquence and style; yet a simple conversation about what she wanted out of her relationship with Emily left her feeling tongue-tied and idiotic. She wished that she had jotted down some crib notes during the hours she had spent obsessing over what she wanted to say to Emily.

"Sorry that took so long." Emily rounded the table again, placing a pint in front of Naomi before she sat down with hers. "There was a group of stoners trying to count out the correct change. Nightmare." Emily smiled over the top of her glass as she brought it to her lips.

Naomi, who hadn't registered anything other than Emily's return, crushed out her cigarette in the ashtray on the table and squared up on her seat to address her girlfriend head-on. "Firstly, I wanted to apologize for telling you to fuck off last night. I'm very sorry, Emily. I shouldn't have said that. I was angry and I didn't truly mean it." Naomi immediately felt a weight lift off her shoulders that had been there since the night before.

Emily had a look of surprise on her face, eyebrow raised and eyes wide. She hadn't been expecting an apology from Naomi. It was she who needed to apologize.

The silence from the other side of the table felt like it went on for ages as Naomi's mind raced to find her next talking point. "Secondly, Katie was right. I should have worn that cuff bracelet she suggested. I should have been more careful in front of your parents to conceal my tattoo. Christ! I mean, you've been able to hide from them for years and I completely muck things up in an evening."

Emily wanted to interject, but before she had time to, the blonde was already on to the next.

"And my trip to Cyprus, yes, it is all arranged and scheduled and has been for quite some time now and I don't really have an excuse as to why I hadn't yet discussed it with you...I suppose part of me didn't want to put a damper on our relationship so near the beginning of it. I mean, I feel like it would have been a bit presumptuous to brief you on my summer plans when we were first just starting out. You'd have thought me a right nutter if I was planning our future together months in advance. Then again, I come to find out that I had already told you about Cyprus on the night we met, so I suppose I found it worth mentioning then for some reason."

Naomi's brain was just about caught up with her mouth and she was beginning to hear how insane she sounded. Nervous rambling had always been her downfall. It had only taken a _how was the party _from Gina for a fifteen year-old Naomi to confess to drinking three ciders and smoking her first cigarette with Cook in a flurry of apologies and declarations that she would never do it again. She now felt the impending dread of Emily's reaction creeping up on her and could no longer look the redhead in the eye as she fumbled to pull another cigarette from her pack.

She felt Emily's hands cover hers and hold them steady. "I fucked up, Naomi, not you. I'm supposed to be apologizing right now." Emily dipped her head so she could catch the eye of the nervous girl sat across from her. Naomi kept her head bowed, but raised her eyes enough to see Emily smiling back as she intertwined their fingers.

"I handled the whole thing badly. I got drunk and stoned instead of just admitting that I fucked up. I should have never asked you to hide your tattoo. That was wrong of me. I should know better by now." Emily looked out into the quiet street as a car passed by and a group of people their age walked along the row of shops that were opposite them, their laughter and conversation just a subtle hum ringing through the night air. "I've been doing it for so long now that when I'm around my parents, I actually forget that I have them." Emily absentmindedly stroked her right arm where her half-sleeve covered her skin. "And the stuff with my mum," Emily shook her head and turned to look at Naomi, "trust me. It wasn't even about you. It's just the same fight we've been having for years over Effy."

Naomi, whose nerves had finally calmed a little, suddenly felt ill at ease once again upon hearing this. She knew that Emily was trying to make her feel better, but for some reason, any mention of Effy being part of Emily's past just didn't sit well with her. Naomi refused to recognize it as jealousy. Yes, Emily had slept with Effy, _once_, years ago, but Emily had told her that it was a one-time thing and that they were just friends since. So, there was no reason for Naomi to feel any jealousy towards the mysterious and stoic brunette whose eyes lit up every time Emily entered a room.

"Why does your mum hate Effy so much?" Naomi hoped that Emily didn't hear the desperate curiosity in her voice.

Emily bristled a bit at Naomi's question, but tried to play it off. "She doesn't _hate _Effy. I mean, she doesn't like her; she didn't want me to have her as a friend, is all. I came home late after our first day of college and my mum has always blamed Effy for it. It's stupid." Emily picked up her pint and took a few large gulps.

Naomi could tell that Emily didn't want to talk about Effy anymore, but she pressed on. "Was it her fault?"

Emily held onto her beer and drew lines through the condensation with her fingertip. "No...I don't know...not really. I knew when I was supposed to be home. Effy didn't force me to stay out with her and her friends. I wanted to. My mum just needed someone to blame for my bad behaviour."

"But she's been your best friend since college. You work with her. Your mum must have changed her opinion of Effy at some point." Naomi took a sip of her beer, but kept her eyes pinned on Emily who seemed to be shrinking into her chair.

"When I was living at home, I wasn't _allowed _to see her. Of course, while we were at school, there was nothing mum could do about it and there's nothing she can do about it now." Emily shrugged to make it seem like it was nothing, but she couldn't help but think back to all those afternoons, once classes were over, but before her parents got home from work, in which she would sneak Effy into her room and lock the door. Some days, they'd go back to Effy's, but her mother was always there, drunk and shouting. "It wasn't even that big of an issue, really." Emily looked up from her glass and gave Naomi a forced smile. "Let's get out of here, yeah, free up the table for someone else."

Naomi nodded and decided to let it go. Once again, she was just being silly. She and Emily had many things to talk about now that the conversation was flowing and there was no need to waste any more time worrying about ancient history.

* * *

"So you fly out the following Monday after finals week?" Naomi exhaled a stream of smoke up into the air, away from Emily as they walked through campus with no set destination.

Emily nodded as she put a tiny spoonful of ice cream between her lips. Naomi had known that Emily would be in the mood for dessert and had stopped at a street vendor before Emily had even mentioned her craving. "My internship is six weeks exactly. No more, no less. You won't even have time to miss me."

"Well, no...not with the loads of girls I'll be shagging in Cyprus." Naomi held a straight face as the redhead turned on her and punched her, playfully, in the shoulder.

"You better watch yourself, Campbell. Shagging loads of girls may have been on your original holiday agenda, but that was before you got Fitched." Emily punctuated her statement with another bite of ice cream.

"Well, I suppose I could amendment my reservation. I'll contact my travel agent in the morning and cancel the endless supply of call girls that were to be sent to my room each night. Of course, with such a late cancellation, I'm bound lose my deposit." Naomi placed her cigarette between her smiling lips as Emily gripped onto her arm and brought them face to face.

Emily took a step into Naomi's personal space, just close enough for her to feel the warmth of Emily's body, but not close enough to feel anything else. "If you're worried about not having any fun once the sun goes down, just remember that I'm going to call you every night, while you're lying in bed, under the sheets, and I'll be in my room, lying in bed, under the sheets, naked, and missing you."

Emily wrapped her arms around Naomi's neck, her ice cream tossed away and forgotten, and pulled their bodies together at last. Naomi flicked the cigarette she had been holding onto the grass and placed both hands on Emily's hips.

The redhead leaned in closer, her voice getting even deeper than usual. "And we'll tell each other about our days and swap funny stories and talk about how we can't wait to see each other, until you hear me start to breathe a bit heavier and you'll ask me what I'm doing and I'll say that I'm touching myself and pretending that it's your fingers sliding over my clit...and I'll make you forget all about those pretty girls in bikinis you were watching on the beach."

* * *

Naomi had Emily pressed up against a tree alongside one of the many old buildings that made up the university campus. It was by no means private, but it was far enough away from the main path and the trunk of the tree concealed them well enough. Besides, Naomi wasn't too concerned with propriety at the moment; she needed Emily, she needed to claim her, to have her right then and there.

It was rushed and clumsy and she had to cover Emily's mouth with her hand to stop her from screaming out, but as her girlfriend came on her fingers, Naomi felt a complete and utter sense of relief from the ever present dread she had been containing within her chest for far too long.

She kissed Emily and held her face between her strong hands, pulling away to look into her eyes. "I am so in love with you, Emily." She kissed her again.

She felt Emily's lips press firmly against hers over and over and her arms wrap tighter around the blonde's neck. When oxygen was needed, Emily pulled away only slightly, keeping her lips as close to Naomi's as possible as she whispered, "I know."

* * *

**Yay! They talked it out. Good for them. No more secrets, no more guessing games. Everything has been brought into the light. Finally!**

**Wait. I'd like to go back.**

**Yay! They talked it out. Good for them. Lots more secrets, tons more guessing games. Everyone is still in the dark on most things. Cool. So glad we've gotten through 38 chapters and nothing has been revealed. What an asshole I am. But seriously, is it time to just put a bullet in this one and call it a day? I guess only a Bengal Tiger can determine that one. Quid pro quo, SomeAreLakes, quid pro quo.**


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to comment on how awesome Trufreak89's stories are...and when I say stories, I mean stories plural. Just in the Skins fandom alone, she is the author of **_**Giving up the Ghost, In Another Life, Surviving Bristol, The Life I Could Have Lived, This Disillusioned Life, This Despondent Heart**_**, and that's not even all of them! Trufreak89 is the hardest working writer in Fanfic, hands down. She makes me feel like a lazy bum.**

**Trufreak89, this one's for you, my dear. Thank you for your stories; what you do is amazing.**

* * *

Chapter 39

Emily was only one short block away from her flat as she took another drag off the cigarette she had _borrowed _from Naomi's pack on her way out the door of her dorm room. Emily had been really good lately, having only smoked one time the week before and only twice over the weekend...maybe three times, but still. Ever since meeting Naomi, Emily's pledge to herself, but mostly to Katie, to quit smoking had been harder and harder to keep. The blonde practically chain-smoked every time they went out.

The hit of nicotine was heaven in Emily's body. The surprisingly spontaneous sex she had just had with her girlfriend amongst the trees was heaven on Earth. But the sweet words that made Emily's heart leap inside her chest just as much now as they had when they rolled off Naomi's tongue, _I am so in love with you_...those were Heaven with a capital H.

The redhead couldn't suppress a grin as the words played on a loop in her head. Her smile quickly turned into one of delight as she noticed that one of her favorite songs was playing somewhere close by. As she kept walking, she scanned the cars that were within sight, thinking that one of them had the music playing. But as Emily got nearer and nearer to her destination, the music went from a low hum to an all-out racket and its source became obvious.

Emily approached the front steps of the shop with a look of intrigue mixed with confusion on her face and dropped her mostly finished cigarette on the concrete, crushing it out with her toe.

The speakers that hung in each of the corners of the tattoo parlor's front room were thumping and shaking, threatening to break free from their brackets. The door slowly opened and Emily peeked in to check out the situation. Not seeing any customers waiting on the sofas, Emily opened the door wider, stepping all the way into the room.

Emily could only shake her head at the scene that played out in front of her. Effy was perched on top of the counter, laughing and throwing her head back as Panda pantomimed playing all the instruments used in the song, drums, guitar, keyboards, tambourine, all the while, singing along at the top of her lungs and using a lollipop as a microphone. The two were oblivious to Emily's arrival.

Emily walked straight up to the front counter, still unnoticed since Effy's back was to the door, and tried to get their attention. "Panda. Panda!" The goofy blonde heard her on the second shout and looked up. "Bit loud! Bit loud!" This was Emily's hint for her to turn the blaring music down. Panda just nodded enthusiastically with a face-splitting smile, and gave Emily a double thumbs-up.

Emily couldn't help but laugh and shake her head again as she leaned over the counter and turned down the volume on the stereo; Effy's eyes were on her the entire time. Panda's face fell as the music faded, but she rebounded almost instantly. "Emily! Thank you so much for calling off tonight! Efs and I have been havin' a whacker load of fun minding the shop. Haven't we, Ef?" Panda looked from Emily to Effy.

Effy gave Panda a wink and hopped off the countertop. As she walked over to the sofa against the wall, she threw a comment at Emily over her shoulder. "You're home early."

Emily glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's nearly half eleven."

Effy made no reply as she sat down and crossed her legs. Panda, now realizing the time, sprang to action. "Shitification, I've gotta go. My set starts at midnight and the girls get real miffed if their songs aren't queued up!"

When Panda had first gotten hired to DJ at an establishment she told them was called The Kandy Kat, Emily had been curious and had inquired as to what kind of a place it was. Panda hadn't batted an eye as she informed them that it was a strip club. For some reason, Emily hadn't been that surprised.

"You better hurry Pandapops. An angry stripper is the most dangerous kind of stripper. Ask Ems. She knows." Effy's delivery was completely deadpan, as always, as she lit up a cigarette.

Emily seemed a bit offended. "I didn't know she was a stripper when I went home with her." Effy raised her eyebrows at the redhead. "But her lapdancing abilities should have probably tipped me off." Emily got a far off look in her eyes. "She was so flexible."

And on that note, Panda collected her things from behind the counter and bid the girls a farewell, the tiny bell ringing out as the door shut behind her.

Emily sat down next to Effy on the sofa.

"Things went well with Blondie, I see." Emily gave Effy a puzzled look as if to ask _and how do you know that? _Effy just smirked back at her. "You have a piece of bark in your hair."

Emily immediately blushed as she groped at her hair trying to find it. The blush would have given her way if Effy hadn't already been sure of how that bark got there in the first place. After Emily's failed attempts, Effy smiled and reached over, plucking the small chip of wood out of the redhead's silky locks.

"Here." Effy offered the piece of bark to Emily. "For your mementos box."

Emily rolled her eyes and took the offering. "I don't keep a box of mementos."

Effy scoffed. "Since when? I seem to remember a box under your bed with cut-out letters telling people to stay out."

"I hate to break it to ya, but trust me; I didn't keep mementos in there!" Emily and Effy shared a laugh until Emily's phone beeped from her pocket and she reached to grab it. The text was from Naomi and consisted of nothing but _I Love You__s _filling up the entire screen. Emily smiled widely at the device in her hand as she typed out a reply. Effy gazed at her profile until Emily finally looked up and Effy looked away.

"So, yeah, anyway." Emily tucked her phone back into her pocket. "Things are good. I apologized for being a gigantic twat, I apologized on my mum's behalf for her wankishness, we talked about our respective summer plans, and...yeah, we're good."

"Everything out in the open, then?"

Emily scrunched up her face a bit. "Yeah, pretty much."

"So what you're telling me is that I spent several hours last night, listening to you moan on and on about how you fucked up and how Naomi was never going to forgive you, going through endless tissues and full-on nose blowing...all for not?"

Emily's eye went wide as she reacted to Effy's question. "Ah! Rudeness! I was out of it, okay? I got emotional."

Effy muttered, "Wouldn't be the first time," under her breath, which earned her a slap on the thigh.

Emily's phone beeped again and she grabbed for it without hesitation. Effy's look was more scrutinizing this time as the redhead interrupted their conversation again to check her phone. Effy took another drag off her cigarette. "Whatever. I guess I should know better than to get invested in the dramas that transpire with all the randoms that follow you around."

Emily narrowed her eyes as she turned to face the brunette. "Naomi isn't a _random_, Effy. You know that."

Effy stared back at Emily with her patented expressionless face. "You're right." Effy grabbed her pack of smokes and lighter off the arm of the couch. "The randoms almost never take home a permanent souvenir." And with that, Effy stood up and walked out the front door.

Emily's eyes followed the brunette until the door shut behind her. She looked down at her phone, still in her open palm, and read Naomi's new text.

Can we please do something  
fun this weekend? My eyes  
are about to fall out of my  
head with all this revision. A  
night out before finals week  
is much needed. xN.

Emily got up from the couch as she typed out a reply.

Your wish is my command.  
I'll let the gang know. You  
should invite Cook too. I'm  
sure he'd love to see you  
before you're off to Cyprus  
for the summer. xE.

Emily hit the send button as she stopped behind the front desk. She placed her phone down as she scanned the appointments book. One of Effy's regulars was booked for midnight. Emily made a mental note to go upstairs and grab her text books before he arrived. _Another long night of work and study_. She flipped to the next page to see what tomorrow night was going to look like.

It had always amused her that Effy insisted on keeping her appointments in the old, beat-up, leather-bound journal that originally belonged to the previous owner of the shop; the previous owner being Effy's much older, on-again/off-again, college boyfriend. It was through him that Effy had gotten into tattooing in the first place. She had been his apprentice. Emily hated his guts.

Emily looked around the shop; it hadn't changed much, new furniture, new design posters and photos of Effy's work, but everything else was the same. Tony had purchased the shop as a college graduation gift for Effy. He knew that she had no intentions of going to university, so he wanted to set her up with a profitable business venture with some of the money he had made from his night club. Tattoo arts were her one and only passion; the purchase was a no-brainer.

The shop held so many memories. It had been after their first day of college that the twins had followed their new, mysterious friend into the shop so Effy could get her first tattoo. Once the brunette had been taken into the back room and after they had waited twenty minutes in the front room of the shop that was filled with the hoi polloi of London, Katie had freaked out and had gone home in a huff.

Emily had refused to leave Effy behind much to Katie's dismay, and it had been the first time in their lives that Emily had stood up to Katie and blatantly ignored her demands. That moment marked the start of Emily's independence from her big sister, while the events that took place after Effy was done with her tattoo, marked the reasons why Emily had been grounded to her room every day after school for the entire month after. But for Emily...it had been so worth it.

* * *

Effy crushed out the last of her cigarette on the railing of the front steps and flicked the butt into the street. The night air still held a mild chill, but she could feel the new season waiting to reveal itself. The start of summer would mark the end of her first year in business and the start of a new one. As with most things, Effy avoided sentiment and nostalgia at all costs, but even the stoic girl had to admit that she was a bit impressed with how far she had come. Even so, she knew that her brand of success still didn't impress certain types of people.

During the weekdays, when Emily was at school, her appointments were booked solid; her customers had to schedule months and months in advance and wait for her availability just to have _The _Effy Stonem design their artwork and tattoo them with it. _Walk-ins _did not exist in her shop. Well...there had been once, maybe twice, that she had agreed to ink someone without a scheduled appointment.

During the evenings, when Emily covered the front desk and saw to the customers who desired piercings, Effy made sure to leave some gaps in her appointment book. All work and no play made Ef a dull girl, after all. Plus, it gave her a chance to spend some time with her bestfriend. It seemed like so long ago that they had to sneak around and make up lies and alibis just to see each other. Effy lit up another cigarette as she visualized giving Jenna Fitch the finger.

Effy had known that Jenna hated her from the moment she appeared on the Fitch's doorstep all those years ago. It had been a Tuesday, the day after their first day of college, sometime around seven in the morning. Effy hadn't yet gone to sleep and the back of her neck stung from her newly acquired ink.

"Is Emil home?" Effy's arms were wrapped around herself in an attempt to gain some warmth; she was just now starting to feel the cold as the drugs and alcohol wore off. She tried her best to look untouchable in front of this parental figure, but Jenna saw the fear in her eyes and knew that what Effy was truly asking was not if Emily was home, but if Emily had made it home.

It had only been a few short hours since her youngest daughter had stumbled through the front door of their house at four in the morning, drunk, high, and looking like she had been roughed up, to a worried and waiting Rob and Jenna. As they had helped Emily to bed, the only intelligible words they were able to get out of her were Effy and Rather Beautiful.

So now, only hours later, when Jenna had opened her door to find a girl, cigarette between her fingers, her eye makeup black and heavy, her leather jacket hanging off her thin, bare shoulders, Jenna had no need to ask for her name.

"Get away from my house. Stay away from my daughter. You will never be good enough for her...and you know it."

The purple neon sign that hung above the front door of her shop buzzed and flickered off and on, the sound shook Effy out of her memory. She glanced up at the glass tubing and metal frame that spelled out INK in big block letters; she'd have to remember to call for service in the morning.

Standing, the brunette finished her cigarette and headed back inside. Her next appointment would be arriving soon and Emily would need to run upstairs to grab her text books.

* * *

**Well then...that's what the inside of Effy's head looks like. Interesting. I need a drink!**

**As always, I truly hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. Even after all this time, your lovely reviews make me incredibly happy and the excitement you all have for the story is still my biggest source of motivation; it keeps me writing and working towards the ending that this story is meant to have.**

**I love all my readers and double-love my reviewers so if you've got a minute before jumping into the next chapter of one of Trufreak89's epic stories, please let me know what you thought of Ink's Chapter 39.**


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N: Let's kick off Labor Day Weekend in style! Stop working on those spreadsheets, set your desk phones to DND. Read this and then leave work early. It's time for some Naomily! Jack and Cokes for everyone!**

* * *

Chapter 40

Emily Fitch had always hated countdowns. New Year's Eve was overrated and ultimately a letdown. Shuttle launches were hit or miss, either way, she didn't give two fucks about space exploration. The worst of them all were the days leading up to her birthday...though she could never really take ownership of the day, could she? That day also belonged to someone else, someone who was much louder and much flashier and much more adored than she was.

Every year, as far back as Emily could remember, perhaps their sixth or seventh birthday, Katie would construct a paper chain, each link marking one day until the celebration of the day Katie arrived in the world...and Emily followed six minutes behind. The arrangements were always made to follow Katie's specifications. The decorations were always what Katie wanted. The theme was always Katie's pick.

So now, as the days dropped off the calendar, she tried her best not to start a countdown of her departure from London to Glasgow. But with finals and papers due, she couldn't help but be hyper-aware of just how many days were left. She had even contemplated dropping out of her internship altogether, but her parents would never allow for that.

Emily glanced over at the blonde with the furrowed brow and unshakeable look of concentration on her face. "Your first kiss."

Naomi looked up from her textbook that was laid open on Emily's coffee table, her fingers hovering over the keyboard of her laptop. "Pardon?"

The redhead smirked at the blonde from her vantage point, her body slung over the old beat-up armchair that resided next to her couch in her living room, legs dangling over one arm and her back resting against the other. "Tell me about your first kiss."

Naomi drew her hands back and let them fall into her lap as she regarded the girl that looked even smaller than normal in the oversized piece of furniture. "We're meant to be revising, Ems." Naomi tried to sound serious, but the twinkle in Emily's rich brown eyes made it impossible for her not to smile back.

"I am revising."

Naomi's eyes went wide at the response. "A description of my very disappointing and very," Naomi almost gagged at the memory; she swallowed it back, "slobbery first kiss cannot be in any way related to your human anatomy final that takes place tomorrow afternoon."

"Care to make a wager on that?" Emily smiled at Naomi as she used her blue ballpoint to mark the page of the textbook resting against her legs.

Naomi knew better than to engage the fiery redhead during their revision sessions, but she had learned that the only way to get anything done was to let Emily take frequent breaks...and have control of the music selection. Naomi had been known to study for hours in silence without noticing the passage of time, but Emily couldn't sit still for more than twenty minutes before creating some type of distraction.

With a reserved smile, Naomi pursed her lips before taking the bait. "One hour of uninterrupted revision."

"Deal."

"I'm serious. Like no talking, no getting up to get a drink, no bathroom breaks." Naomi had to make sure her intentions were clear.

"I know what uninterrupted means, Naoms." Emily swung her legs around and placed her feet on the floor, pushing her book off her lap. Instead of standing, the redhead slowly lowered herself onto her knees, her palms finding their way to the floor, as she crawled towards the blonde who was seated behind her coffee table. Naomi watched her intently. Emily locked eyes with Naomi as she moved closer and closer, like a jungle cat stalking its prey.

Naomi swallowed again, this time for a very different reason, as Emily approached from the other side of the small table that Naomi liked to make into a desk each time they studied there. She was fully aware that from her current position Emily knew that she could see directly down her shirt. She liked to think she was too clever to be manipulated by Emily's tricks, but honestly, she was only human.

As she quickly regained eye contact with Emily, she knew that she had gotten caught looking. Emily gave her a naughty grin as she placed both hands on the table top and leaned over it, giving Naomi an even better view.

The blonde couldn't help but stare at the swell of Emily's perfect breasts and silently thanked whoever designed, manufactured, and distributed the green tank top that Emily had purchased the other day on her way back from campus. She even went as far as to lick her lips in anticipation before swallowing again.

"When you thought back to your first kiss, when you watched me cross the room on all fours, and even just then, when you licked your lips as you perved on my tits...your body completed the process of swallowing, which is known scientifically as _deglutition. _Your salivary glands reacted, hence you drooling over me, and the process made it pass from your mouth, to your pharynx, and into your esophagus, while shutting your epiglottis." Emily smirked down at the blonde.

Naomi's eyes shined with delight. "Did I ever mention that intelligence is one of my biggest turn-ons?"

Emily's smirk turned into a radiant smile.

"Of course, don't let that discourage you. I find you very attractive in spite of your lack of it." Naomi watched as Emily's smile turned into an offended scoff as she pushed herself off the table and stood up. For a split second, Naomi believed that she had truly upset the redhead and was about to go after her, but Emily abruptly rounded the coffee table and stepped over Naomi's lap before dropping to her knees and straddling the blonde on the floor.

"You lost the bet, Campbell." Emily ran her fingers through Naomi's long, soft hair and dragged her fingertips across the base of her scalp.

Naomi's eyes rolled back before they closed of their own accord. Emily knew she was powerless when she had her hands in her hair. She took hold of a fist full of it and tugged back with a bit more force than she intended. Naomi's eyes shot open wide in surprise as her breath caught in her throat.

Emily ignored her instinct to loosen her grip and apologize. "You never asked what would happen if I won the wager." Emily's brought her lips painfully close to Naomi's without letting them touch. She kept her hold on the back of Naomi's hair as her right hand softly worked its way down her exposed neck and collarbone and chest until she scratched her nails over Naomi's breast and then palmed it forcefully, making a deep moan escape from Naomi's lips.

"I trust you." Naomi hadn't meant for her response to be so much more than just a flirty retort. But as she watched Emily's expression turn from sexual and sultry to sweet and loving, Naomi knew that those words meant everything. She trusted Emily completely, as scary as it was, she knew it was true.

Emily's lips were on hers instantly in a searing kiss. Naomi brought her hands up and held Emily's face between them gently.

As they kissed, the corners of Emily's mouth turned up into a smile. She leaned back, breaking the contact of their lips. "You're so good at that."

"What? The kissing?" Naomi had a look of puzzlement on her face.

Emily rolled her eyes and smiled. "Well yes, the kissing, but not only that. The whole saying lovely things at the exact right moments _thing_. You're very good at that."

Naomi smiled up at the redhead as she wrapped her arms around her midsection and gave her a squeeze. "If only I was planning on a career in which my words could assist with my success."

"If only you knew how to take a compliment without taking the piss." Emily pressed her forehead against Naomi's before kissing her lightly on the tip of her nose.

"Sorry. It's hereditary. I inherited the smart-ass gene."

"Ugh." A frown clouded Emily's face as she made an attempt to get up. Naomi was having none of it and held her firmly in place by the hips. Emily didn't put up much of a fight.

Naomi furrowed her brow as she looked up at Emily's now serious face. "What just happened?"

"We only have a few more days together before we both leave for the summer." Emily's face transformed into an adorable pout.

Naomi was truly confounded as she looked to her left, paused, and then back at Emily. "Where did that come from?"

Emily sighed. "You said hereditary, which made me think of your mum. Then I thought of my mum who is insisting that the entire family go with me to the airport on Monday to wish me bon voyage. Then that, of course, made me think of how much I am going to miss you this summer."

Naomi nodded. "Fair enough."

"I've never been forced to miss someone before. I already hate it and it hasn't even started yet." Emily let out another forlorn sigh as she got up for Naomi's lap and headed to the kitchen.

Naomi hadn't wanted to dwell on their distinctively separate summer plans and had opted to focus on studying and preparing for her final exams instead. But now that the conversation had been opened again, she felt like a quick study break was in order, and maybe a bit of reassurance.

The redhead took a deep breath as she leaned against the work surface; she had walked into the kitchen for a reason, but had no idea what it was now that her thoughts were so scattered.

"Pour me a drink, will you?" Naomi got up from the floor and crossed over to Emily.

Emily set about pulling down glasses from the cupboard and grabbing her bottle of Jack. She filled the glasses with whiskey up until the halfway point. She was about to push one of them toward Naomi, but instead, crossed to the freezer and retrieved a tray of ice cubes. She gave her girlfriend a knowing look as she dropped a few cubes into one of the glasses.

"Don't give me that look."

Emily smiled at the blonde as she handed her the glass.

"Whiskey rocks is a respectable drink no matter what you say." Naomi held out her drink for a cheers. "To a quick summer."

Emily sighed.

"It's going to be fine, Emily. I promise. All we've gotta do is stay focused and get through our finals. Trust me."

"I've never known anyone to be more prepared for finals than you are right now. If you didn't open another book for the rest of the week, you'd still ace all of your exams." Emily clinked her glass with the blonde's. "All you've gotta do is show up."

In unison, they tipped their glasses back and let the dark liquid burn down their throats.

"So you won the bet. What's your prize?"

"You're my prize." Emily gave Naomi a heart-melting grin.

"You two are nauseating."

The girls quickly turned their heads towards the direction of the unmistakable voice. Katie stood in the doorway of Emily's flat with Effy leaning casually against the doorframe.

"What the fuck, Katie?!" Emily had warned her sister too many times about using her emergency key like she owned the place.

"You didn't answer your phone, bitch." As Emily rolled her eyes, Katie marched in and took a seat on the couch, plopping her oversized designer bag on the cushion beside her.

Naomi had gotten used to the twins and their bickering, but she still found it highly entertaining as she took another sip from her glass.

Effy lazily stepped away for the door and allowed it to shut behind her as she sauntered into the room.

Emily rounded the work surface; Naomi's sparkling blue eyes following her with each step. "Phone contact or not, knocking is still fucking required." Brown eyes narrowed on the identical set she held in her sights.

"Whatever. You two have become boring as fuck. Last night, I was forced to go on the pull with chatterbox over there." Katie shrugged in Effy's direction.

The brunette paused, looked over at Katie, her face expressionless, and then went back to flipping through Emily's LPs.

"Effy shot daggers at every fit guy that approached our table! I didn't get a single phone number all night."

"But she fucked three blokes in the toilets." Naomi raised her glass to the redhead with the darker shade, smirking at her own joke.

Katie shot the blonde a withering glare as Emily flopped down on the couch beside her. "Watch it, Campbell. You're still on my shit list."

Naomi gave Katie a look of _what did I do? _and Katie shot back a crooked, disapproving smirk.

Emily saved them all from the impending exchange of poisonous barbs. Her sister had been playing nice with her girlfriend for the most part. There was no need to press her luck. "Why are you two here, anyway?" She looked from Katie to Effy.

"Real nice. I'm come over to check on my baby sister and ask her how finals week is going and I get treated like an intruder." Katie huffed and sat back on the couch.

Emily rolled her eyes again and looked over to Naomi who had just settled down in the armchair. Naomi shook her head and sat back too. Emily sighed. "Can I get anyone a drink?"

Studying had definitely come to a conclusion for the evening.

* * *

"I called for a taxi. It should be here soon." Emily called down the stairs as she watched the back of Katie's head sink lower and lower with each step.

Katie waved over her shoulder without bothering to turn around. After four Jack and Diets in two hours, Katie was more than a bit tipsy and had decided to depart.

Emily shook her head at her sister with a smile. It wasn't the greatest of achievements, but at least the younger twin could hold her liquor better than her big sister. Emily was, after all, the first of the two to get drunk. Katie had never forgiven her for beating her to the punch.

Emily heard the downstairs door close as she turned to find the brunette occupying her doorframe for the second time that evening.

"I'm headed out." Effy pulled her black leather jacket back over her thin shoulders.

"Headed out, not headed home?" Emily didn't miss the meaning behind Effy's few words.

Effy gave her an almost imperceptible nod. "One of us doesn't have to play bookworm."

Emily smiled up at Effy. There was a look of nostalgia in her eyes. "Be safe, okay?"

Effy grinned back at her. "I won't do anything you wouldn't do."

Emily scoffed. "Right."

The girls laughed together for a brief moment. Emily looked over Effy's shoulder back into her flat. Naomi was sat on the couch on her laptop, absorbed by something on the screen. Katie had made them all watch Beyonce's new music video before she left. Katie loved the stylized design and wardrobes; the other three girls loved it for other reasons.

Emily spoke a bit more quietly. "I haven't forgotten what we talked about. I've just been really busy."

Effy narrowed her eyes and looked past Emily's head. "It's your business."

Emily nodded. A moment passed. "Anyone in particular you're off to see tonight?"

Effy didn't respond. She stepped around the small redhead and took a few steps before stopping. "Tell Blondie good night."

"Will do." Emily had only ever heard Cook refer to Naomi with that nickname. She liked that her girlfriend and her best friend were seemingly getting along.

"See you tomorrow?" Effy sounded hopeful and unsure even though it was undetectable to the redhead.

"I'll be there."

Effy gave Emily one last glance before disappearing down the dark stairwell.

When Emily heard the downstairs door shut again, she turned back into her flat and locked the door behind her for the night.

"Okay, superfan. Time for bed." Emily crossed over to Naomi who was still transfixed by her laptop screen.

"These videos are incredible. Have you seen _Get Me Bodied_? It's my favorite so far."

Emily gently pulled Naomi's hands away from the keyboard. "Yes, Beyonce is amazing. Come on." She closed her laptop, setting it on the coffee table, and pulling Naomi up into a standing, albeit wobbly, position. "Bedtime." She ushered Naomi towards her bedroom door.

"Sextime, you mean." Naomi gave Emily a flirtatious smile.

"We'll see. Move along. Go!" Emily gave Naomi a bit more of a push, as she dodged away from the blonde's grabby hands.

"I like it when you boss me around." Naomi winked at her as she pulled her t-shirt over her head in a less than seductive way.

Emily chuckled at her adorable girlfriend.

"You didn't tell me about your first kiss." Naomi kicked off her shoes and flopped down on Emily's bed.

"Nothing to write home about." Emily shrugged and didn't supply any other information.

* * *

**With the utmost sincerity, thank you all for taking time out of your day to check in on our two favorite tattooed ladies. Slowly, but surely, I keep trudging along and I do hope there was some entertainment value achieved. I've been truly underwhelmed by my output lately, but as I've promised from the start...I will finish this GD story!**

**Until next time, my lovelies...**


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Hello my little Inklings. I truly don't intend for this much time to pass between chapters; I really don't. And I do appreciate the prodding I get from some of you in the form of PMs and reviews (and bribes). The nudges and taps on the shoulder and the **_**what the fuck, Blondies?!**_** are all welcomed. I need it! I can't make up for the time, but I hope that I can keep you all entertained and interested. **

**Speaking of things that continue to keep our interest (also 2 1/2 years later and counting), Skins 7! My expectations are very low; I just have this feeling that this will be their last chance to destroy Naomily once and for all and that they're going to take it! They are going to stomp on our hearts and laugh in our faces. Call me a pessimist, I just get these flashbacks of the torture that was S4 and I am filled with dread. I really hope that I'm completely off base on this. Is anyone else out there feeling the impending doom? I mean, Naomi Campbell is going to have BROWN hair. BROWN HAIR! *takes a moment to calm anger* I'm just so excited, but so scared.**

* * *

Chapter 41

The festivities had been planned and set by Naomi the weekend before. During a study break, the blonde had stretched out across Emily's sofa and figured out the best course of action for their celebration agenda. On Friday evening, the last day of the term, after both girls had completed their final exams for the school year, they would meet back at Emily's flat for pre-drinks and getting ready, which would most likely lead to a quick shag before getting dressed for dinner, or so Naomi hoped.

Dinner would take place at a swanky new restaurant nearby that Naomi had heard good things about. Of course, all those _good things _had to be confirmed through endless online review research before she could determine that it was the correct choice and book a reservation for Emily and herself.

As was their way, Emily had nodded along in agreement while Naomi had read aloud the must haves and highlights, but the redhead had quickly become distracted as she let her fingertips trail softly up and down the length of the long, bare legs draped over her lap.

Emily loved it when Naomi wore shorts when they lounged around studying or watching TV; the blonde had legs for days and she could never keep her hands off of them for long. It had not taken much time before Naomi's laptop had been carefully set aside on the coffee table and its place had been taken by the not to be resisted redhead.

On that Tuesday, Naomi had called Cook to invite him along as she walked back to her room after class. The weather had been perfect all week and Naomi had aced two of her five exams so far (or more aptly, she had _felt_ like she had aced them since the actual results would not be posted until the first few weeks into their summer vacation. But judging from Naomi's impeccable track record, she most likely had.

As she had explained to Cook, who had howled a _fook yeah, blondie!_ and a _let's get fookin' mental!_ in response to the invitation, after dinner, they would all meet up with the rest of the gang over at Tony's club. They had contemplated going somewhere else since they _always _go to Tony's, but the service they received due to their Stonem connection just couldn't be matched anywhere else in town.

Naomi knew that Cook had been chomping at the bit for another night out in Londontown with his best mate. She knew that she had been a bit absent as of late, _missing _Cook's calls and returning them with short text messages that contained promises of calling him later or as soon as she had some free time. As with most things, Cook didn't take it personally. He more than understood that with a mint piece like Emily Fitch around, he wouldn't have much free time either.

So by the time Emily and Naomi had handed in their last exam sheets and Cook had hopped onto the afternoon train from Bristol to London and Katie had finally picked out her ensemble for the evening and Effy had called out for provisions, the countdown had already begun.

* * *

It wasn't until the cool evening air touched their rosy cheeks as they spilled from the front door of the restaurant, out into the bustling city, that the girls realized how warm it had been inside. The cocktails in the bar as they waited for their table and the second round during the appetizers and the bottle of wine with dinner, of course, couldn't possibly be the reason why they were both overheated and giddy and slightly stumbling down the sidewalk in the direction of the club.

"Please tell your mum thank you again for dinner." Emily's voice was still a bit hoarse from the week's late-night study sessions and lack of sleep. She really hoped she wasn't coming down with something just days before she left for Glasgow.

"I will not neglect to extend your many thanks on the next occasion that I am to speak with her." Naomi gave Emily a _your wish is my command _type bow and almost lost her balance. "Whoa."

Gina had insisted that Naomi take Emily out for a nice dinner to celebrate the end of their exams, while not forgetting to mention how much Kieran and she were _still _looking forward to _actually _meeting Emily one of these days. With a useless eye roll (naturally, they had been speaking over the phone), Naomi had promised to use her _emergency _credit card to pay for dinner and to bring Emily home to meet them...at some point. At the very least, she fully intended to use the credit card.

"But don't change the subject. You know that waiter fancied you, Ems. Your water glass never reached the midway point. He was circling you like a vulture." Naomi dug through the small clutch she had borrowed from Katie, looking for her lighter and cigarettes.

Emily rolled her eyes and shook her head at the blonde's ridiculous assessment. "Impossible. He was too busy staring at your tits all night to notice me." Emily smirked as she caught Naomi's eye. "Can't say I blame him." She gave Naomi an appreciative once over before stopping their movement by placing both hands on the taller girl's hips. "You look so fucking hot in this dress." Emily leaned in closer, right up to Naomi's ear. "_I _was the one staring at your tits all night and now I'm wound so tight, I'm about to explode."

The blush on Naomi's cheeks deepened a shade. She didn't quite believe that she looked _that _good, but she had gotten better at taking compliments since being with Emily. "Well, you can thank your sister for that."

Both girls heard the reply at the same time and both cringed a bit.

"I didn't mean it like..."

"I know, just... Moving on." Emily waved it off as they picked up their pace, Naomi finally succeeding in lighting a cigarette.

"Katie did help with the dress though and the shoes." Naomi looked down at the pair of black stilettos that adorned her feet. "And by _help_, I mean that she didn't allow me to question her, disagree with her, or make any decisions on any level whatsoever." She took a drag from her cigarette and exhaled a long stream of smoke up into the clear sky.

"Ah. So us almost missing our taxi should be _her _fault then." Emily raised an eyebrow in Naomi's direction.

The blonde just gave the redhead a coy smile, bringing her cigarette to her lips once more as she remembered back to Emily forcing her up against the door of her flat on their way to meet the cab downstairs. The power of the LBD had been too much for Emily to resist. Another wave of heat found Naomi's cheeks as the image of Emily's forearm, tensing and straining from where her hand was buried underneath her short dress, made its way across her memory banks.

"Nope. That's still _your _fault." Naomi tried to give Emily a stern look, but smiled over at her girlfriend instead as she tucked her purse under her arm and grabbed Emily's hand with her free one, their fingers lacing together in a perfect fit.

Emily's grin matched Naomi's as she gave her hand a squeeze. Naomi's attempt to scold her brought her thoughts to the exact same place as the blonde's.

It had turned out that their quickie hadn't been quick enough. The taxi driver had started blaring the horn after only a few minutes of waiting, so with a string of expletives, and a truck load to self-control, they had pulled away from each other, straightened their clothes, and stomped down the stairs to pick up their ordered taxi.

The pained expression on Naomi's face for the duration of the cab ride had given Emily a clear indication of just how much agony she had left her girlfriend in. There just hadn't been enough time to..._alleviate..._the pulsing that she had caused between Naomi's thighs.

"I really am so terribly sorry about that, babe, really." Emily looked pleadingly into Naomi's clear, sparkling blue eyes.

As much torture as the cab ride had been, Naomi couldn't possibly hold a grudge. "I suppose I now know what it feels like to have blue balls." Naomi's tone was completely dry.

Emily's eyes went wide. "Cheeky." She reached over and plucked the fag from between Naomi's slender fingers, taking a long drag as they walked along the sidewalk, arms swinging between them, their clasped hands keeping them united, for now.

* * *

Thomas was at the door, per usual. He greeted Emily and Naomi with his patented face-splitting grin and opened the velvet rope for them. It was still somewhat early for the typical club-goers, but they had wanted to have a few rounds of drinks with the gang before the place got packed with sweaty bodies and pounding beats and they all became children of the night.

Tony had reserved the best table in the house for the occasion and was seeing to the organization of the bottle service as Emily and Naomi approached. His tailored suit was perfect.

"Where's the tonic?" Tony looked down his nose at a cowering member of staff who had been unfortunate enough to be assigned the task of servicing the table for the duration of the night.

The server scanned the various bottles of alcohol and mixers, panic in his eyes.

"If the tonic was on the table, I wouldn't have need to ask where it is, now would I?" Tony grinned down at the scared little man who decided the best answer would be to scurry off to the bar to fetch the missing mixer. Tony watched him go, pleased with the results, and then his eyes landed on the two new arrivals.

"Ladies!" Tony greeted them with arms outstretched. "You two are looking gorgeous, as always. Emily!" Tony wrapped the petite redhead in a bear hug, picking her up and twirling her around. "There's still a chance for us, you know. I've never lost hope."

"Never gonna happen, Tone, and put me down, ya wanker." Emily hated to be picked up. It made her feel little. Of course, with her legs wrapped around the blonde's hips, it was a different story.

Placing the redhead back on her feet, Tony gave her a proper once over. Her high boots and skin-tight black jeans lead up to the plunging neckline of a top she had once borrowed from Effy and never returned. The material was soft and see-through and hung off her curves in all the right places.

"One day, years from now, you'll finally admit that you picked the wrong Stonem." Tony gave Emily a cheeky grin.

Naomi fought hard to prevent her smile from falling from her lips. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught what seemed like a panicked side-glance from Emily, but didn't get the chance to ponder it further as Tony turned his _charms _in her direction.

"Evening, Naomi. You're looking very beautiful today." With a big grin, he opened his arms for a hug.

Naomi deflected his attempt, grabbing his hand instead, and gave it a firm shake. "Look at you, Tony. Suave." Her smile was practiced. "Thank you again for making all these arrangements." Naomi dropped his hand and pulled Emily to her side, finding that perfect curve between her ribs and her hip bone. _Mine. _She gave Tony another tight-lipped smile.

Tony took it all in stride as a man whose mouth couldn't help but get him into trouble always does. "Please sit. Have a drink. I saw that sister of mine around here somewhere." Tony glanced around a bit. "I'm sure she'll materialize at some point."

Tony gestured for them to take a seat. Naomi slid into the booth first followed by Emily. "Have fun tonight, kids. You've earned it." Tony gave them a wink and went about his business of being the boss.

Emily's elevated pulse slowly dropped back down to normal as she felt Naomi's fingers lace together with her own. She looked down at them, their hands resting in her lap, and a truly happy smile spread out across her lips and up into each corner of her mouth.

Sometimes, Emily still couldn't believe it all. A night out at Tony's had always meant too much drink and too many drugs, finding some girl to dance with, forgetting her name almost immediately after hearing it shouted over the music, deciding if said girl was cute enough or sexy enough to kiss, and from there...fucking in the loo, or against the rough bricks in the alleyway, or in someone's bed.

Not that she regretted any of it; Emily didn't believe in regrets. But, if she was being honest with herself, which she was trying to do more often these days, it was the pills and powders and booze that usually made the decisions for her. And now, with a slight buzz, and a genuine smile on her face, she was holding the hand of a girl she loved. If possible, Emily's smile doubled in size as she squeezed Naomi's hand and planted a sweet kiss on her cheek. From where they had started, that crazy first night, the day that followed...Emily felt her stomach drop just remembering it all. But none of that really mattered now, did it?

Emily wanted to say it then, _I'm going to miss you so much_, but she resisted.

They had agreed not to talk about it during finals week. There was enough stress and pressure and anxiety without focusing on the fact that Emily would be leaving for her internship bright and early Monday morning with Naomi flying out to Cyprus later that afternoon.

Emily brought their joined hands up to her mouth and softly pressed her fire engine red lips to Naomi's smooth, warm skin. If she was going to keep pretending that her heart wasn't aching, she was going to need more alcohol, and lots of it.

"So what'll it be, Naoms? Vodka? Bourbon? Rum?" Emily scanned the buffet of spirits that filled the tabletop. "The choice is yours, really." She looked to her girlfriend. What she found were big, blue eyes threatening to spill over with tears. Emily wasn't the only one holding something back.

Emily's heart rate spiked for a second time. "Baby, what? What is it?" She turned in the booth to face her full-on, carefully placing her palm against Naomi's cheek, her other hand gripping tightly to her bare knee.

Those rich chocolate eyes, so full of concern and love directed right at her, for her, almost made Naomi break completely. But with a sweet smile meant just for Emily, she choked back the lump in her throat and suddenly felt very silly for being so emotional all of a sudden when they were meant to be celebrating. "I love you."

"Yeah, I know." Emily nodded, giving her room to continue.

Naomi smiled again through the tears that she was not going to let fall. "Don't forget it though."

Emily's eyes beamed back at her. She shook her head saying _I won't _with a small smile. Apparently, they were both shit at pretending like they weren't consumed with thinking about the eight-week period of separation that was right around the corner for them.

"It's just a few weeks. It'll fly by, believe me." Emily tried to reassure her.

Naomi nodded, swallowing it all back. She pressed her lips to Emily's, feeling the warmth and the want that was always present in the redhead's kiss, and tried to convince herself that maybe everything would be okay.

Emily took Naomi's right hand in hers, turning her palm up, and placed a kiss on the perfect letter E that Naomi had stopped being self conscious about weeks ago.

A rush of confidence surged through Naomi's veins as the antique key tattooed beneath Emily's breast...the one with the bow in the shape of a love heart, the one that was most recent to her collection, the one Naomi had taken to kissing at least once, if not one hundred times, every night before they fell asleep wrapped up in each other's arms, the one that Emily had never explained...flashed behind her eyes.

Everything was going to be okay. _I'll tell her and everything will be okay._

She didn't have time to think about _that _any longer, or the internship, or the summer, as a door opened near the back of the club, right over Emily's shoulder, and the mischievous smirk of Effy Stonem caught her eye followed by her best mate, zipping up his pants and grinning from ear-to-ear.

Naomi could only roll her eyes as Cook spotted her from across the dance floor. He jumped a meter off the ground and bounded over to the booth like a kid running towards the tree on Christmas morning.

"Naomikins! Emilio! My favorite muff monkeys have finally arrived!" Cook threw his arms into the air. "Come on, then. Hugs for the Cookie Monster, yeah?"

Emily couldn't help but laugh at Cook's over-the-top display.

Naomi slid out of the booth and into Cook's waiting embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was now the one to get picked up and spun around, but there was no need to pretend like she hated it. "I'm glad you came."

Cook howled with laughter as he set her down. "You and me both, Blondie!" He tilted his head at Effy who had finally sauntered her way over to the table and wagged his eyebrows.

Naomi cringed and punched him in the shoulder as she rolled her eyes.

Emily stood there, waiting for her hug, and enjoying the exchange.

Cook turned his attentions on the redhead. "Lookin' good enough to eat, Red." Cook opened his arms for a hug.

Naomi gave him a warning. "Just keep those hands where I can see 'em, James."

Emily smiled at her girlfriend over Cook's shoulder and gave him a quick squeeze. "Glad you could make it."

Effy watched them from where she was perched on the back of the booth, a vodka rocks held loosely in her hand.

Now that all the pleasantries were out of the way, Cook surveyed the spread, his eyes lighting up as he spotted a bottle of expensive tequila. "As the invited guest who traveled the farthest to be 'ere tonight, my first act as party president is to declare this riot OPEN!" Cook grabbed the bottle and raised it in the air. "Let's get fooking MENTAL!" He brought the bottle to his lips and threw his head back, chugging down at least three shots in one go.

Even Effy had to smile at Cook's antics as he poured out shots for them all. If nothing else, tonight was bound to be eventful.

* * *

**It's been a long while, I know, but that one felt good for some reason, better than the last several chapters that I struggled over, and I think it's because I reminded myself why I started writing this story in the first place. It's supposed to be fun and sexy and lovely and everything we didn't get enough of from the series. So, thank you all, forever and always, for reading this and enjoying it and not telling me to go fuck myself for being such a lackadaisical twat. Some days, I just don't deserve you all.**

**Until next time...**

* * *

******Song picks!**

**********Shimmering Dreams Vol. 28**  
**by HMHDHB**

******134. Weekends- Tiger Waves  
**Naomi smoking and thinking. I had another song for this a while ago but since it's been so long since I did this, I totes forgot what it was. So, I was a bit rusty and had a tough time with this one. In my mind Naomi was happy and smitten and also kind of angry with herself for feeling that way, so I had to find something that was upbeat but kind of off. So, here we are. The tempo is upbeat enough and the lyrics are cute but also shows that all is not well. And there is a line about "what you're scared to tell me" that seems to fit this story well. **(Blondie: This is such a great pick for Naomi in this moment. She's so excited about what all of this now means for Emily and herself, but she doesn't want to get her hopes up, because she knows a bit about Emily's past. She's thrilled on the inside, but wants to play it cool on the outside. She's angry at herself for imaging their future together; she's scared that she's going to make a mess of it all.)**

**135. Gold Mountain- Slow Club**  
Emily joins Naomi at the window and they talk. So, as you know I am a very big Slow Club fan and I like to use their music a lot. This song is off their new album and it was the first song I noticed because I tend to notice the dramatics before the cheery ones. Anyway, I don't even know if it works really well here, but it just felt right when I listened to in the context of the story. So, I hope you like it too. **(Blondie: "You are the only one, the only one that counts." Oh my Jesus, that's so perfect! I really hope, HMHDHB, that you do continue on with picking songs for Ink, because it's shit like this that reminds me, again, why I love this story so much. All the girls she's had before...and Naomi is the only one that counts. Well done, you little shit. Get to work!)**


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N: Happy 2013! It's a great fucking year, isn't it?! I know it's only January, but already things are incredible. 6seats and I just moved into a new place, which is so fucking rad and has enriched our daily lives on a level that is mind blowing and amazingly wonderful. Coachella is coming up in a few months and we've got the two best party companions ever coming with us! And let's face it, **_**I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it! **_

**As always, thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read the latest chapter. It truly makes my heart explode a little every time I see a review or an add. And I know there are so many of you that only hover in the atmosphere, which is totally fine. (I'm a lurker in the Rizzoli & Isles Fandom myself.) So this one is for all of you lurking in the shadows, thanks for reading. **

* * *

Chapter 42

"More drinks! More drinks! More drinks, more drinks, more drinks!" Cook held his empty glass high above his head, chanting his fight song to rouse the troops.

"Yes! Cook is exactly right. We need more drinks!" Naomi excitedly joined in with her best friend's crusade as if a better idea had never once been spoken before.

Emily who was sat right next to her, of course, her hand comfortably and continually gripping to the blonde's, smiled widely at her girlfriend. Naomi was the most adorably tipsy by this point of the night. A few drinks since they had arrived at the club, added to the drinks they had with dinner, and the pre-drinks they had at Emily's flat as they had gotten ready to go out meant that they were well on their way to being drunk, but not quite yet. This was the time of night that Emily joined the most. And it was certainly the time of night she would be able to recall the most accurately the next morning.

"Naomikin's with me! Who else needs a refill?" Cook had taken it upon himself to play bartender all evening. It was his given profession, after all.

"Come on you pussies! It's nearly half eleven." Naomi looked to the rest of the table for some enthusiasm.

Panda, who had arrived two rounds before, smiled brightly as she nodded her head with wide eyes. Freddie, who sat to her left, gestured apathetically to indicate his desire for a refill. He was counting the minutes until Panda would have to leave the table to start her set on the decks. For the last hour, she had been the energetic and fidgety buffer that separated him from Effy.

Of course, Effy just shook her head with a bored expression and smoothly raised her glass towards the blonde, showing that she was not in need of another drink; her glass was only half-empty. _Or half-full depending on one's level of optimism and Effy is definitely not an optimist. She's like the opposite of an optimist. She's a..._ Naomi's happily intoxicated brain followed its own path of thought and then stumbled on a fallen branch. _She's a...she's a... _ She still couldn't quite find the word she was looking for and her face reflected the battle she was having with her vocabularic-recall. _Well, whatever. She's weird._

Naomi, this entire time, had been staring directly at the dark-haired girl. Effy cocked an eyebrow at the blonde, and intensified her returned stare.

Naomi suddenly snapped out of her trance once she realized she had kept her gaze locked with those penetrating, cool blue eyes for too long. A part of her thought she might turn to salt with her next breath.

"A pessimist!" Naomi shouted at no one in particular, her eyes finally breaking free as they scanned the table.

Emily gave her a funny look as did the others.

Naomi realized after a moment that she had just shouted a non sequitur across the table. She tried to cover. "...is not...what anyone could call...anyone here tonight." She shook her head slowly from side to side. "No they would not." Naomi paused. "Pour the drinks, kind sir!" She pointed to Cook and sat back against the booth, her arm lifting and settling across Emily's shoulders.

Cook followed her instructions and began concocting drinks from what was left of their bottle service.

Emily decided to get some dialogue going, because she knew Effy and Freddie weren't up to the task and when Panda decided to fill a silence, she always spouted out something incomprehensible or overtly sexual. Either way, the conversation always took a turn for the worse.

"Katie just texted. She's in the taxi, on her way over." Emily caught Effy's eye, as the others nodded their acknowledgement of hearing what she had just said. Emily realized that that bit of information wasn't really a conversation starter.

Effy filled the lull just in time. "Katie Fucking Fitch. Fashionably late, as always." Effy smirked.

But it was more than a smirk, Emily noticed a twinge of a smile play across Effy's dark red lips. It was almost imperceptible, and Emily had already told herself it was ridiculous, but the redhead had felt a tiny moment of jealousy, like Effy had said it that way and smiled that way just to play with her.

It wasn't as if that would be something new for Effy to do; Emily got more than used to it during the two years of college they shared. That ever-present feeling of uneasy excitement that filled her body every time they were together, that sickening stomach drop Emily would feel when Effy would flirt with boys right in front of her face. Emily knew all of those feelings all too well. It was just that she hadn't felt them for so long now, that it was all a bit of a surprise.

Emily felt a warm pair of lips press against her cheek, Naomi's lips.

Emily leaned into the kiss, turning her head to capture those lips with her own. Why had she been wasting time thinking about Effy when she had these amazing lips at her disposal?

The wolf whistle from Cook alerted them that they had been properly snogging for a bit too long. They broke away from each other with rosy cheeks as Cook handed them their new cocktails and Emily noticed that Effy was no longer seated in the booth.

"Drink up, ladies. I call this one The Fanny Grabber." Cook drank down half of his own glass in one go, making an exaggerated sigh of refreshment.

Emily and Naomi studied the drinks that they were now holding. The brownish color and slightly murky tinge should have made them think twice but, of course, by that point in the evening, thinking clearly was not always one's top priority.

* * *

Once Panda had left the table and scampered off to the DJ booth, the night was really starting to buzz. Complete and utter drunkenness had, by this hour, parked the car, walked up the steps, and raised his fist to the door, pausing just long enough to allow them all one last coherent thought before knocking and inviting himself in. It wouldn't be until the following morning, late morning, that certain parties would take a much needed sober moment to ask themselves..._what have I done?_

"Panda! Panda!" Emily was on her tiptoes, trying to get Panda's attention from the far side of the booth, her fingers hooked over the top of the glass partition. They had all been on the dance floor for at least an hour, alcohol infused blood pumping through their veins, a light sheen of sweat glistening on their skin.

Naomi stood next to Emily sipping on yet another brown drink. She had a happy grin turning up the corners of her mouth.

"Panda!" The short girl finally got her friend's attention.

Panda checked her levels quickly and then took down her headphones. "What's up, Emsy-poo?!"

As Emily relayed a handful of songs to Panda that she'd love to hear at some point during the night, Naomi spotted Cook standing at the bar across the room.

"Hey Ems." Naomi gently touched Emily's arm, interrupting her exchange with Panda. "I'll be back. Gonna chat with Cook for a bit." Emily nodded and gave the blonde a quick kiss. Naomi gave her another kiss almost immediately after the first.

"Okay, but you better be back on this dance floor before Panda plays my songs." Emily pretended to be stern and threatening.

Naomi only nodded as she began to inch her way through the densely packed throng of sweaty club kids. She turned back right before being completely consumed, shouting over the noise. "Stay alive! I will find you!"

* * *

After one too many ass-grabs and two separate couples trying to pull her in for a three-way dance, Naomi reached her destination next to Cook at the bar, clapping her hands on the backs of his shoulders. "It's a jungle out there, Cookie, and this sailor needs a drink!" Naomi bellied up to the bar and began the delicate game of _get the bartender's attention without looking or acting like a douche bag._

Cook laughed at his best friend's drunken state. "You're mixing your metaphors, blondie. Sailors rarely trek through jungles, yeah." He handed her one of the shots that were lined up in front of him on the bar while Naomi processed his comment.

"But what if I'm a sailor who's been lost at sea and I wash ashore on a desert island in the South Pacific? I could be trekking my way through a jungle then, couldn't I?" Naomi looked to Cook, awaiting his reply.

Cook narrowed his eyes, thought about it, and decided just to play along. "And during your explorations, you find yourself at the edge of a waterfall and down below, a naked native girl bathin' in the pool, nothing but long legs and a massive pair of-"

"Alright, James. My point has been proven." Naomi held up her shot.

Cook laughed and did the same.

"To desert islands."

Cook nodded and they threw back their shots.

"Speakin' of islands, Naomikins, you ready for a summer of fun in the sun and sand? I envy you, girl. It's gonna be topshelf shit in Cyprus."

Naomi looked down at the bar before answering and nodding her head. "Yeah, yeah, it's going to be good."

Cook doesn't buy it for a second. "Aw, is my little Naomikins sad about being away from her wittle girlfriend?"

Naomi shot Cook her best _not amused_face.

"I'm just playin' wit' ya. The Cookie Monster means no harm." Cook threw his muscley arm around Naomi's shoulders. "It's gonna be rough though, yeah. Not bein' able to dip the digits in that sweet pu-"

Cook didn't get a chance to finish as Naomi's fist made contact with his abdomen, stopping him in his tracks. It wasn't really a powerful punch, just a playful one to remind him who he was talking to and about. He got the message.

"I know, I know. I can't talk about your girl like that. Sorry. Force of habit."

Naomi smiled at him and shook her head. "Incorrigible."

"Ya know ya love me."

* * *

"Yes, that's the track, but there's this remix I found last week." Emily is scrolling through the music on her phone while Panda is busy keeping the crowd hypnotized by the beat.

After Naomi had gone to chat with Cook, Emily figured she might as well hang out with the bouncy blonde in the DJ booth. Effy was nowhere to be found, per usual.

"I think I know which one you're talking about, Emsy. Give me a sec." Panda gave the redhead a giant grin. Panda had really found her calling. In college, no one could have even began to speculate on what Pandora Moon would be when she grew up and now it was so clear: Synthpop/Rockstar/Producer/DJ...of course!

As the first few bars on the next track began, Emily's face lit up. "This is it! That's the one!"

"Well done, Pandapops."

Emily's head whipped around and she found Effy leaning against the doorway.

Effy was talking to Panda, but looking straight at Emily. "You never disappoint."

Panda smiled and waved at Effy.

"Where've you been, then?" Emily made space for her on the small bench seat.

As Effy moved from the doorway and sat down, Emily caught sight of the last person she wanted to see that night.

"Hey Bitches! Let's get this party started!"

Emily took in a stifled breath. "Hey Arsia." The redhead's voice lacked any and all emotion.

Arsia skittered over to Emily and did that thing that straight girls do where they half-hug each other and then pretend to kiss each other's cheeks. Emily couldn't quite hide her disdain.

As Arsia pulled away, she opened her giant Michael Kors purse and began rifling through it. "I got you something for your trip."

Emily turned her head and looked at Effy. Effy just shrugged and took a sip of her drink.

"Now, it's not every day that one of the gang finishes her first year of medical school."

"Pre-med." Emily corrected.

Arsia didn't care and continued with her speech. "Anyway, I wanted you to have somethin' that would really commemorate your achievement, you know, and like, make it special." Arsia reached into her purse and produced a plastic baggie full of ecstasy tablets. "Congrats, Dr. Fitch!" She handed the pills to Emily.

"Thanks, Arsia. That's really nice of you." As much as Emily couldn't believe her own words, they were true. It's not every day that someone handed her several hundred quid worth of narcotics...for free.

"I figure you can like, you know, have a couple tonight, share some, and then keep the rest for the weekends while you're doing that thing in Scotland. Oh, and give a couple to that girlfriend of yours. She's needs to like, lighten up a bit, yeah?" Arsia plopped down on the bench in between Effy and Emily, making room for herself, like always.

Emily rolled her eyes as Arsia's ridiculous purse ended up in her lap. _She just gave you drugs. She just gave you drugs. She just gave you drugs...for free._Emily took a calming breath and looked down at the pills in her hand.

"You heard the bitch. Let's get this party started!" Emily smiled as she began to dole out the pills, Effy smirked, and Arsia raised the roof.

Panda, having taken a short break, joined them with a look of awe gracing her face. "I've never seen so many in one place before. Arsia really is like Drug Santa, isn't she, Ef?"

Effy only smiled before placing the E on her tongue.

* * *

"Alright, spill it. You and Effy, huh?"

Naomi and Cook were still parked at the bar. Their tab was on-the-house so moderation hadn't even entered their minds.

Cook grinned from ear to ear. "Nothin' to tell, hon. Just a bit of fun in the back room.

Naomi cringed. "Cook! Fuck, man. That's disgusting. I don't want to hear about-"

"I said back_ room_, not back_ door_." Cook chuckled.

"Oh." Naomi realized her mix up.

"But if given the chance..." Cook saw Naomi's warning look and stopped himself. "I gotta drain the python. Catch ya later, Goldilocks."

Naomi shook her head as she watched her idiotic, yet loveable friend traverse the dance floor on his way to the loo. She knew for a fact that he, for one, welcomed the ass-grabs and three-way invites. _Never change, Cook. Never change._

Naomi spotted a flash of bright red hair up in the DJ booth, but before heading over, she picked up the two remaining shots for herself and Emily. As she turned to leave the bar, she was intercepted by none other than Tony Stonem.

"Naomi!" Tony approached her with his cheesy grin.

_Ugh_. Naomi thought she had filled the _be nice to Tony since he lets you drink for free_quota for the evening. "Hey Tony. Thanks again for all of this. We're having a great time." She might not like the guy or trust a single word out of his mouth, but she still had manners.

"Of course, of course. It's nothing." Tony played humble like a pro. "Where's that sexy, little firecracker of yours?"

"Uh, she's up in the booth with Panda." Naomi glanced over to the booth and saw Emily, Panda, Effy and…_Jesus Christ…Arsia _laughing about. "Looks like that sister of yours is up there too; I was just on my way over, actually." Naomi hoped this would end their exchange, but Tony seemed to be in a chatty mood.

"You know, it's really cool how you are with that whole thing. If it were me, I don't know. You know?" Tony clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels.

Naomi truly did not want to get into a conversation with the elder Stonem, but her interest was piqued, nonetheless. "I don't know what we're talking about."

Tony tried to explain what he was talking about. "Sure you do, the whole once they were lovers and now they're _just _friends bit."

Naomi was still drawing a blank.

He tried again. "I suppose that's kind of a lezzer thing to do though, isn't it? Are you friends with all of your exes as well?"

Even with that, there was still no readable expression on Naomi's face.

Tony was about to say more, but he stopped, suddenly recognizing that the blank expression on the blonde's face wasn't that of misunderstanding. "My sister. Your girlfriend. Effy and Emily?"

Naomi was certain that what Tony was saying didn't actually mean what she thought he was saying. "I'm not too sure, but I don't think that a random, one-time shag warrants the title of _ex-girlfriend_. If that were the case, Emily would have like...several exes."

Not long ago, they had had _the number_ talk. Naomi's number was one, obviously, and Emily's was...well, Naomi didn't think that _that _was something she should divulge in polite company.

At first, Tony was truly surprised by Naomi's apparent lack of comprehension. Surely she would know that Effy and Emily were a full-on item all through college. Everyone knew, even if the girls had always tried to keep it under the radar. There was no possible way that she thought Emily and Effy were just friends who shagged once upon a time. She'd have to be a fool to think that.

And, if Tony was a better person, he would have stopped the conversation altogether at that point and let Naomi speak to Emily directly about it...

...but Tony wasn't a better person. He was a Stonem.

A devious smile spread across the tall man's face. "No? I mean, you're probably right. _Ex-girlfriend _doesn't really quite describe one's first love every accurately, now does it, Naoms?"

Naomi's face paled, her wide, blue eyes unable to hide the shock of Tony's words.

"But hey, what do I know? I am obviously not as evolved as you ladies are. I just don't think I could stand to see the woman I love..." Tony trailed off as he turned to look across the dance floor.

Naomi's eyes followed his and there was Emily, her Emily, on display high above the crowd, laughing and dancing, her hands held up toward the lights and Effy's hands holding too tightly to her hips.

"...in the arms of the girl she used to love." Tony trained his dark eyes on the blonde.

With an almost indiscernible head shake, Naomi turned back to Tony. "It's not true."

Tony put on a serious expression. "Wait. You didn't know?" Tony feigned surprise. "Seems like something she should have told you, and here I am running my mouth about it like it's common knowledge. I mean, it _is _common knowledge. Everyone knows."

The walls felt a bit like they were closing in on her and there was blood pumping loudly between her ears. She felt like her lungs might not be able to take in another breath after this one, but she somehow managed to ask one last question.

Her pained eyes squeezed shut briefly. "Why are you so horrible?" She looked back to Tony for his explanation.

Tony shrugged. "Because I can be."

Naomi was right. She couldn't take another breath.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got dresses to buy for a ball. You should come." Tony pulled a flier out of his jacket pocket. "Next Saturday, Cross-dressers' Ball. You'd look great in a tuxedo." When Naomi didn't reach for the slip of paper, he gently tucked it into the neckline of her dress, smiled, and walked away, leaving Naomi struggling for air.

* * *

**I know this might be shocking, (insert sarcasm here) but I didn't have the most solid plan for this story when I first started writing it. I knew the basics and had the story figured out for the most part, but there were certain elements that just never felt right. And because of those things, it became increasingly hard to move forward with the story. There have always been very specific scenes from Skins that I wanted to use and re-write for Ink, but I just couldn't get them to make sense in some ways.**

**Well, there must be something to this whole "2013 is going to be the best year ever" thing that I keep hearing about, because I figured it out! There was no way that it would make sense for Katie to be the one to drop the Emily/Effy bomb on Naomi in this story; it had to be someone else...but who? Tony fucking Stonem, of course! The coffee shop scene was the game changer for Naomi in S3 and I knew that I wanted it to be the ignition switch for Naomi in Ink too and once I realized that Tony could replace Katie, it all clicked into place perfectly! I hope so anyway. I would love to hear what you think, so if you've got a minute to drop a review, please do.**

**Until next time...**

**Cheers!**  
**-Blondie**

* * *

**SD Vol. 29**

**136. Kill for Love- Chromatics**  
Emily wakes up. So, this was a really, really hard scene to pick for because Emily is happy but there are secrets! So, in my usual subtle way, I picked a song that starts with, "everybody's got a secret to hide." Having said that, this song seemed to really fit the situation and Emily. First of all, it's moody in that electronic way and the lyrics just felt right, especially the bit with "I took a pill almost every night, in my mind I was waiting for change." This song feels like Emily's side of their relationship. **(Blondie: This is a good **_**just waking up**_** song, there's a dreamy quality to it, and it's very much an Emily song too. This track would definitely be on one of her playlists.) **

**137. I Found You- Alabama Shakes**  
Naomi and the toast and all that. Now this is Naomi's side of things and this is gonna get a little bit real, but this sort of pick is rather personal because I am someone that fell in love for the first time later than the norm. So, this is my song to Naomi from someone who has been there. So, Naomi, way to go for waiting and not just being with a random drunk person. You deserve a great morning after. **(Blondie: This song has an emotional depth and yet an upbeat feel to it so it really fits this scene as they are all smiley and eating toast and being cute together, all the while knowing that they are crazy about each other.)**


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Hello, loves! There's a new chapter below and I do hope you all enjoy it, but I must admit that I haven't had the slightest interest in Ink since Scriptmanip posted the first chapter of **_**Resting on Your Laurels.**_** It has taken over my life, my thoughts, my feelings...all of my feelings. If any of you haven't started reading it yet, just forget about the chapter below for a minute and go read all of Script's chapters right now. And then come back over here and let me know how much you love her story. If you feel compelled to drop a line or two about Ink, that would be pretty great too. **

* * *

Chapter 43

The queue to get into Tony's was nearing the end of the block by the time her taxi pulled up out front. It was a lovely night with clear skies so the would-be party-goers still waiting to get in weren't as desperate to get through the doors as they would have been on the nights when the clouds decided to, literally, rain on their parade. Of course, no matter what the weather, no one liked a queue-jumper.

Luckily for Katie Fitch, she didn't give a fuck; it's not like she would ever show up to a club before midnight, like some amature, just to wait in line. Besides, she loved taking advantage of her connections. So having handed the cabbie his fare, checked her hair and makeup in her compact, and applied a topcoat of lip gloss, Katie made her way from the cab and to the head of the line like a Hollywood starlet. The only difference being that instead of flashbulbs popping and fans cheering, there were fingers flipping and obscenities shouted.

A younger Katie would have shouted back, no doubt, with some choice hand gestures of her own, but this Katie had learned her lesson during the first week of her first job out of college. One day while out on a coffee-run for her boss, a man had pushed past her on the street and Katie had called him a tosser at a volume that wasn't hard for anyone to miss and the man stopped and turned around. To Katie's horror, it was the owner of the agency, her boss' boss. In a fortuitous turn of events, Gerald, the owner, having seen the look of absolute terror on Katie's face, had simply given her a wink followed by, "My apologies, dear," and continued on his way. Katie had made a vow to never shoot her mouth off again...unless, of course, she knew exactly who she was talking to.

Thomas had spotted her the second she had gotten out of the cab and was waiting with open arms to greet the fabulous Fitch. "Katie, you are looking ever so beautiful tonight." The front of the line rolled their eyes as Katie flashed Thomas her 1,000-watt smile and leaned in for a double-cheek kiss.

"Thanks, Thomas." Katie giggled as he turned her around in a full circle to get a better look at her incredible dress. It was designer, it was glamorous, and she looked damn sexy in it.

"Everyone is already inside. Please, follow me." Thomas unlatched the velvet rope and Katie floated past the herd of jealous onlookers. She may have learned her lesson about shouting things, but she just couldn't help herself and blew a kiss at them as she disappeared into the club.

* * *

Once inside, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness and flashing lights. First things first, she sauntered over to the bar to add another drink to the base coat she had already established while getting ready and waiting for her cab. A devastatingly handsome bartender caught her eye as she got closer. She smiled back at him, already working out the way in which she would give him her number, before she was suddenly knocked off balance by a frantic-looking blonde.

"What the actual fuck?!" Perhaps she hadn't learned much of a lesson after all. Katie righted herself and looked up to see Naomi standing in front of her, posed and ready to flee, but waiting to make sure Katie was okay, a hand on her arm.

"Sorry, Katie. I've-" Naomi wasn't able to finish her sentence as she fought to hold back tears.

Katie stood there stunned as Naomi took off towards the door. Still not really sure what just happened, Katie looked back over to the bar, her super fit bartender gave her another wink. She then looked over at the door Naomi had run out of. With an eye roll and an annoyed _Fine_, Katie marched after her.

* * *

Katie saw the look of concern on Thomas' face right away. He pointed toward the side of the club that lead to the alleyway. She gave him a nod as if to say _I've got this_.

Naomi had only made it about twenty meters before lurching forward and heaving her guts out into a rubbish bin, one hand holding back her hair and the other pressed against the rough bricks to steady her wobbling legs.

"Try not to get any on the dress, yeah? I had a hard enough time finding one that worked on you." Katie stood with her arms folded across her chest.

Naomi carefully lifted her head and glanced over at the elder Fitch, before the overwhelming need to continue emptying the contents of her stomach took over again.

Katie cringed and looked away. "I actually thought that, like, something horrible had happened, what with the look on your face and all, but no. Campbell's just been drinking to excess _again_." Katie shook her head. "At least you had the good sense to puke out here instead of holding up the line for the toilets."

"Katie, please." Naomi tried to compose herself. Katie's loud voice was not helping. Naomi took a few steps away from the bin and leaned up against the wall.

"Here." Katie handed Naomi a tissue, which the blonde gratefully accepted. "Do you want a mint or something?" Naomi nodded as Katie rummaged through her purse.

Naomi wiped her mouth and let her head fall back, squeezing her eyes shut. "I felt like I couldn't breathe."

Katie held out a small tin toward her. "Yeah? Well, you've somehow managed to survive. Can we go back inside now? Your vomit session has properly destroyed my buzz." Katie shook the tin at her, eyebrows raised with impatience.

The rattling noise got Naomi's attention. She pushed her hair away from her face and took Katie's offering with her other hand. She gave her a weak _thanks_ as she opened the small tin.

"Not the blue one. That's mine and I'm saving it for later." Katie supervised Naomi's selection and carefully placed the tin back in her purse once they were handed back to her. "Alright then?" Katie took a few steps, but stopped when she saw that Naomi hadn't moved from the wall, her head hanging. "If you're gonna hurl again, stay out here, but I'm not sticking around for the encore, yeah."

Naomi couldn't help but laugh, tilting her head back. The dim glow from the street lights highlighted the tears that were running down her cheeks.

Katie saw them, concern once again covering her face. "Naomi?"

"He didn't need to blab about Effy. He just loved doing it, didn't he?" Naomi was talking mostly to herself as she shook her head in disbelief.

The look of utter confusion on Katie's face would have been comical if it weren't for the fresh tears welling up in Naomi's eyes.

"All this time..." Naomi clenched her eyes shut, her voice barely a whisper.

"Am I supposed to know what the fuck you're talking about?" Katie was truly trying to understand, even though her language didn't convey as much.

Naomi blotted her eyes with the tissue still clutched in her hand. "Tony." The name tasted bitter in her mouth.

"Christ, what'd he do this time?"

"He said that Emily and Effy..." Naomi couldn't quite choke out the words.

Upon hearing those two names, spoken together, from the mouth of the elder Stonem, resulting in a very drunk, very tearful Naomi, Katie braced herself and proceeded with caution. "Emily and Effy what?" Her voice was calm and gentle as she took another step closer to the taller girl.

With a sniffle and a shaky exhale, Naomi continued. "They were together. They were...in love. _Used to be_ in love." Naomi rushed to add the last part.

When she heard no response from the other girl, she cautiously tipped her head to glance over at her. Katie's face was unreadable.

A moment passed between them.

"And?" Katie stood there, waiting for Naomi to make her point.

"And?!" Naomi couldn't believe that Katie wasn't getting it!

"Yeah, and? What about it? They had a thing during college, yeah. And?" Katie's brow was furrowed. She truly didn't understand what Naomi was getting at, but her confusion cleared the second she saw another wave of sadness wash over Naomi's face. "Shit." Katie's voice softened. "You didn't know?"

Naomi stiffened. There was something incredibly unsettling about Katie's kind voice. It made her feel even worse and there was no way that she was going to allow Katie to feel sorry for her even if she was stood in a dank alleyway crying her eyes out. She wiped at her tears and decided to pull it together. "Apparently not."

"Oh." Katie really didn't know what else to say. She had no idea that Emily had been keeping that bit of information a secret from Naomi. She didn't know _why _she would keep it from Naomi, but then again, Emily hadn't ever really _needed _to tell anyone. Leave it to a Stonem to make things messy. "Don't listen to that dick splash. He's just trying to get a rise out of you. He loves drama and he's always had a thing for Emily, which further proves what an idiot he is." Katie subconsciously threw back her shoulders and fluffed her hair.

As much as Katie enjoyed the free drinks and VIP access, she couldn't stand for a Stonem, _any Stonem_, causing trouble within her group. And even though she made sure to give Naomi a hard time whenever possible, she saw how happy Emily had been since meeting the blonde and there was no way in hell Tony Stonem, of all people, was going to cause a rift between them!

"But it's true." Naomi's tears had finally dried up, but a new wave was threatening to fall down her cheeks. She pushed herself off the wall and took a few steps, her balance was a bit off due to the booze running through her system, but her head was starting to clear a little. "He may have wanted to just cause trouble, but the fact remains that Emily lied to me. She's a liar."

Katie knew that her sister was far from a saint, but she'd be damned if anyone called her a liar. "Maybe she told you while you were drunk and you forgot. It wouldn't be the first time." Katie cocked an judgmental eyebrow in Naomi's direction.

"She told me that they had slept together, but it was a one-time thing." Naomi challenged back.

"Well, if by _one-time_ she meant _every chance they got for two years_, then ya." It slipped out before Katie could stop it.

The pit of Naomi's stomach dropped down to her feet. She couldn't look at Katie and she couldn't be there anymore. Her legs felt disconnected from her body as they began to move her past Katie and back toward the front of the club.

"Naomi, wait!" Katie hurried to catch up. "It was complicated, okay? They weren't official or anything. They kept it a secret from everyone, even me. I'm sure she didn't mislead you on purpose."

Naomi kept walking as Katie trotted along side her. As they rounded the corner, Thomas saw them coming and lifted the rope. Naomi stormed past him and into the club.

"They were never really together, you know. Naomi, stop!" Katie grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

Naomi spun around, yanking her arm out of Katie's grasp.

Katie saw the look of thunder clouding Naomi's blue eyes. "Don't do this. Not here, not now. You're drunk and we're meant to be celebrating!" Katie tried to be the voice of reason.

Naomi tried not to laugh at the thought. "Don't worry, Katiekins. I won't embarrass you or your sister in front of our all awesome friends. I just need to go." Naomi headed deeper into the club, pushing and weaving her way through the dense crowd of revelers. Katie did her best to keep up.

Once at their reserved booth, Naomi located her purse. No one was around, most likely they were out on the dance floor or at the bar or fucking their _best friend_ in the toilets. It was all too much. Naomi just wanted to leave.

Of course, things could never be simple, could they?

"There's my girl."

A pair of soft, thin arms wrapped around Naomi's waist from behind. The blonde felt her muscles tense as a warm kiss was pressed to her bare shoulder blade.

"I've been waiting for you forever." Emily's voice was raspy and she was a bit out of breath.

_Must have worked up quite a sweat dancing with Effy in front of the entire fucking club! _Naomi's teeth were clenched along with her fists. She managed to turn her body around and out of Emily's grasp, but in doing so, she was then face-to-face...to-face with two sets of the same eyes, one pair teetering on anticipated panic.

Unfortunately, the pair of dark chocolate eyes that Naomi had been desperate to gaze into for so long now, were completely unfocused, pupils dilated to the point of almost eclipsing the brown entirely. Naomi took a step back, folding her arms across her chest, still holding her clutch.

Emily's spacy smile dropped momentarily when she noticed Naomi's stance. "Why do you have your purse in your hand? Let's go dance!" The exaggerated smile was back instantly.

"I don't want to do that." Naomi's tone was cold, practiced.

Emily's smile faltered for only a fraction of a second, before something occurred to her. "Oh! Hold on!" Emily reached into the pocket of her tight jeans, as her fingers located and gripped onto the pills, her smile returned. "For you, my love!" She held out two tiny pills for Naomi to take.

Naomi looked down at her offering and rolled her eyes. She couldn't quite look back at Emily as her eyes flitted about the room. "I can't..."

Her words were cut short by Katie. "Hey guys! I'm here!" She was overly cheerful and fake.

Emily, of course, in her current state wasn't able to pick up on her strained tone and happily spun on her heels to greet her sister who she hadn't noticed standing there. "Katie!" She threw her arms up and wrapped them around Katie's waist in a bear hug. "You're here!"

At any other time, Katie would have cringed and pushed Emily off of her stating that she was drunk and wrinkling her very expensive dress. But under the circumstances, Katie just held on and gave Naomi a warning glare over Emily's shoulder, her dark eyes telling the blonde once again, _Not here, not now._

"Let's go dance. Come on." Emily had Katie by the hand and reached for Naomi's.

"I need a fag." Naomi shook her purse to illustrate.

"Okay, but hurry back." Emily hopped up onto her tiptoes and planted a firm kiss on Naomi's lips. It was the kind of kiss that had become a fixture in their daily lives, the kind of quick, casual kiss that was more of a punctuation at the end of a sentence than anything else. Only this time, the sentence was left hanging wide open as Emily pulled back, her kiss having not been returned.

Katie was tugging on her arm, pulling her towards the dance floor, as Emily caught the pained expression on Naomi's face, the one she was trying to conceal. Those blue eyes locked onto hers in a defiant stand-off, the blue that was always so warm felt unbearably cold. A shiver ran down Emily's spin once Naomi had broken their eye contact and walked toward the smoking patio.

It wouldn't be until the following morning, that Emily would think back on this fuzzing memory and the sick feeling she had felt in the pit of her stomach and realize that it had all started right then...the beginning of the end.

* * *

**Not much more to go on this one. Maybe five or six more chapters, perhaps...**

**Until next time,**

**Cheers!**

**-Blondie**


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: Hello! I hope you are all having a lovely day. Cheers!**

* * *

Chapter 44

Once outside the stifling confines of the club, Naomi took solace in the dark corridor alongside the building. She felt painfully sober, desperately wanting another drink or four. In reality, she was still under the influence just no longer feeling the happy-drunk she had been before Tony's revelation. _Why didn't I just walk away? You're too damn polite, Naomi. And with Tony Stonem of all people. The most he should have gotten from me is a slap for all the times he's leered at Emily._

Naomi's brain was on hyper-drive with too many thoughts, too many feelings jamming the gears and causing her train of thought to detour from the real issue at hand. _Emily and Effy. _

As she approached the end of the alleyway, a thick cloud of smoke caught the light emanating from a dim bulb that couldn't decide if it wanted to burn out or not, only threatening it every now and then as it flickered. It didn't take Naomi more than a few more steps to see the source of the smoke as her eyes caught the red, glowing tip of the cigarette held between Effy's lips.

If there was ever a time for the blonde to keep her cool, this was it. She had been so focused on putting space between Emily and herself that she completely forgot that the _other woman_ was still floating around in her orbit like a chain-smoking comet of destruction. But as she got nearer, and as her eyes adjusted and were able to focus on the dark haired girl, Naomi noticed that it was Effy who looked destroyed.

It was the blonde hair suddenly illuminated and the pair of blue eyes burning her cheek that made Effy's heart leap a bit in her chest. She had been far away and hadn't notice Naomi coming towards her. She knew that the only sign of her surprise had been internal, her unaffected external demeanor was still intact and that was always the most important, as she let her cool blue eyes meet the other set. "Hey."

"You okay?"

Maybe she didn't look as in control as she had hoped. Naomi's look was one of slight concern. Effy shrugged off the question, not knowing how to answer it.

"No Cook?" It was out of her mouth before she even knew why she was asking it. Perhaps she was just trying to point the conversation to the person that was the most unlike Emily as possible.

"Why would there be a Cook?"

"You're seeing him, aren't you?"

"I'm fucking him occasionally. I'm not seeing him."

"There's a distinction?" Naomi had to hold back her sneer.

"Yeah." Effy gave her a pointed look.

Naomi held back an eye roll and just gave a half nod instead. And suddenly, it became clear that Cook might not actually be the most un-Emily-like person. Effy had, after all, fucked them both...occasionally.

There was a slight pause as Effy took another drag and offered her open pack to Naomi. Again, much like the other pack she had had the opportunity to inspect all those weeks ago, it was covered with Effy's drawings all done in black ink. Naomi accepted the offering and gently slid one of the fags from the others. A lighter was produced and ignited as Naomi brought the cigarette to her lips with a slightly shaky hand.

And since it was apparent on many counts that Effy could almost read other people's minds, the brunette, locking eyes with the blonde, countered Naomi's line of questioning with her own. "No Emily?" She glanced over Naomi's shoulder as if she was expecting the redhead to be following behind at any moment.

Naomi sucked on the filter to get it started and took a deep pull. She was about to look away and give some sort of embellished answer when Effy interrupted her.

"Truth."

Naomi halted her reply, pressing her lips together and taking a breath as she glanced down at her feet. "She lied to me."

"Why?"

Naomi was a bit taken aback. "Don't you want to know what the lie was about?"

Effy shook her head. "Doesn't matter. Do you know _why _she lied to you?"

Naomi's brow furrowed.

"Everyone lies." Effy looked away and took another drag. "Sometimes, it's for the best. When the truth would just hurt too much."

"I think honesty is the best policy." Naomi tipped her chin up a bit.

Effy scoffed and threw her eyes back over to the blonde. "You wanna tell me about how you're from Eastbourne again?"

Naomi felt the words slam against her chest. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

Effy let her off the hook and continued. "The day I met Emily _and Katie_," Effy smiled and rolled her eyes a bit, "it was the first day of college. It was hard not to notice them, you know, being twins and all with the matching hair." Effy reached down and pulled a flask out of the top of her tall boot. She unscrewed the cap and took a large swig. "We all got assigned to the same form and I could always feel them looking at me. Katie because she was trying to get my attention and Emily..." Effy took another swig, "she'd always just look away every time I'd look over."

Effy held out the flask in Naomi's direction. Naomi took it, giving it a sniff before bringing it to her lips and taking a sip.

Effy took the last pull from her fag and let it fall from her fingers. The heel of her boot crushed it out against the cobblestones. With hands now free, she reached into the top of her shirt and produced a small plastic bag of little white pills from where they were tucked into her bra.

Naomi watched her place two of the pills on her tongue and then look over at her. "Oh." Naomi handed the flask back to Effy. "Right."

Effy took another swig, washing down the pills with ease. "We went to a party that night. Katie chickened out at some point and she demanded that Emily come home with her. I think it was the first time Emily had ever said no to Katie." Effy laughed at the recollection.

"I bet that went over like a lead balloon."

"It was quite a row, but Emily won and Katie stormed off, leaving her all alone."

"But you were there to look after her." Naomi had no idea where this story was leading, but by the faraway look in Effy's eyes and the sadness in her voice was putting her on edge.

Effy's cold blue eyes were on Naomi's suddenly. "I was."

It was then that Naomi remembered fully what Emily had told her about meeting Effy for the first time. "You slept with her that night."

Effy looked away.

"But it wasn't just the one time, like Emily told me." Naomi glared over at Effy, daring her to look back.

"It's hard to stop once you've had a taste." Effy did dare to look back into Naomi's eyes. Hers were glazed over, pupils larger than they should be.

"Fuck you." Naomi stood tall, hoping to back up her words with some sort of strong stature.

Effy just nodded and chuckled a bit. "And you're the one angry with Emily right now."

Naomi folded her arms across her chest.

"Emily loves you." Effy took one last gulp from her flask before slipping it back into her boot. "Don't make me regret it."

Effy stood toe-to-toe with blonde. Naomi didn't know what she was talking about now and her blank expression conveyed that back to Effy.

The brunette shook her head with a sad smile. She reached over and took hold of Naomi's right arm, freeing it from its closed off position. "Tell her."

Naomi still couldn't make sense of it.

Effy gently turned her hand over, exposing the pale skin of Naomi's wrist. Both sets of blues eyes were immediately drawn to the elegant curve of the perfectly drawn lines of the letter E that resided there. Effy's thumb softly ghosted over the black ink. "Tell her."

Naomi stared back into Effy's sad eyes.

"I never could."

Effy was gone before Naomi could even begin to breathe again.

* * *

"There you are." Emily turned the corner fully and made her way down the narrow passage that ran alongside the club. In the quiet of the night, she could almost hear the quick and steady beating of her heart. Naomi didn't look over to meet her eyes like she usually would so Emily continued on in hopes of righting whatever wrong had been done to make those perfect, blue eyes so unfriendly.

"You've been out here for ages. You're meant to be on the dance floor with your arms wrapped around me or have you forgotten?" Emily stopped, all smiles and dilated eyes, and stood next to her girlfriend, waiting for a reply or even a simple acknowledgement of her presence.

The blonde remained motionless, the rough bricks pressing against her bare shoulders, her arms crossed over her chest, a fag held loosely between the first and middle fingers of her right hand. And it wasn't Emily's presence or the pain from the sharp edge of one of the bricks at her back that made Naomi finally shift after several seconds; it was the ash at the end of her cigarette that was getting dangerously long and unstable the longer she started with cold eyes at the burning ember.

With one graceful and practiced movement, the ash was safely flicked away and the cigarette brought back up to her lips. With a deep pull and measured exhale, the conversation they had been tiptoeing around from the start commenced as Naomi whispered, "What'd you want, Ems?"

Emily, having not heard, or perhaps just ignoring the exhausted tone in Naomi's voice, smiled and laughed a bit. Her cheeks were flushed and her skin was shiny with sweat. "I want you to come back inside, silly." She closed the space between them and put her hands on Naomi's hips. "I've got no one to dance with." Emily dipped her head, trying to catch Naomi's eyes.

There was a sick and angry surge in Naomi's stomach that helped to push out the words that tasted so bitter on her tongue. "Effy should be back in by now. Dance with her. I'd only be in the way." Naomi's steel blue eyes held Emily's stare, her jaw clamped shut and lips turned down into a scowl. She felt Emily's hands fall off her hips as the redhead took a step back, an unreadable expression on her face.

Emily's dark brown eyes were pleading, but she couldn't pretend like she was surprised by Naomi's words.

The second the coast was clear and Naomi had left to go out for a smoke, Katie had given Emily a hurried and scattered recap of Naomi's run in with Tony, as well as an abridged version of her own conversation with the blonde. Emily had made a move to go find the elder Stonem so she could rip his balls off, but Katie had sent her out to do some damage-control instead.

"Naomi, I wanted to tell you..."

"Yeah? But ya didn't, did ya, hon?" Naomi straightened her stance, her scowl only slightly masking the hurt she was trying desperately to hide. With a sharp inhale, she looked down at the shorter girl, flicking her cigarette away. "So, if you'll excuse me."

Emily felt Naomi's shoulder brush past her own as a pathetic, "Christ" slipped from her lips. She couldn't let Naomi walk away, not like this, not without at least trying to explain. It was what she had come out there to do in the first place. "Naomi, wait!"

The blonde stopped, but didn't turn around.

Emily took a breath, wishing that she were sober or at the very least, less high, and made an attempt to smooth things over. "Effy and I..." She shook her head, her hands clenching and unclenching. "It's been over for a while, long before I met you. There's nothing between us anymore, I mean, we were never really together to begin with, so..."

Naomi turned back, snapping as she stalked towards Emily. "So in the meantime, while you wait for her to love you back, what's the harm in fucking around with other girls, yeah?"

"No." Emily shook her head. "It's not like that. We're _friends_, Naomi. She's my best friend."

"And your first love." Naomi's voice broke on the last word, her eyes welling up. "And you kept it from me this whole time." She tried to shake off the emotion that was making her throat close up. "I'm such a fool."

"Naomi, no." Emily took the last few steps that were between them and grabbed both of her hands, holding them tight. "I messed up, okay? And I'm sorry. The day after, when you came back to the shop, I told you that Effy and I were a one-time thing and that we were just friends. Everything was already so...complicated and I...I didn't think it mattered at that point anyway." The recollection of that day clouded Emily's face with great disappointment.

Naomi looked offended at Emily's words, indignant. "Of course it mattered."

"Did it? Really?" Emily released the soft hands she had been holding on to and took a step back, her expression changing to one of confrontation, an expression that had always suited Katie better. "You didn't even remember that we'd meet...did ya, hon?"

Naomi recoiled, her eyes narrowing. She scoffed at Emily's jab. "You must be high if you're bringing this up again. I was blacked out, Emily. I had no idea what I was doing or what I was saying that night. I was obviously out of my fucking skull. And I've got this stupid, bloody, _meaningless_ tattoo to prove it!" The words were out, no chance of taking them back, as Naomi stood with her arm outstretched, the dim light reflecting off her pale wrist and the black lines of her letter E.

Emily blanched, her stomach dropping, Naomi's angry words piecing through her heart with jagged accuracy. She couldn't have stop the tears even if she wanted to.

"What do you want from me, Emily?! I thought we'd moved passed this! I thought that night didn't matter now."

"Of course it matters!" Emily wiped at her eyes, her voice bitter. She didn't want to seem weak, not now. "I can't just forget about that night, Naomi. I can't pretend like it never happened the way you do." Emily's eyes narrowed at the blonde.

Naomi matched her glare, a moment passing between them before she turned to leave.

"Naomi, no. You fucking stop right now!"

"What?" The blonde halted her exit.

"Don't you dare walk away from me again."

"I've got to go."

"I know you, Naomi. I know you're scared. I know it is easier to have an excuse. I was scared too, scared of making the wrong choice, scared of what my family would think of me. I got my first tattoo, the one on my shoulder, the day that I decided to be brave."

Emily slowly approached the blonde and reached for her hand and Naomi let her take it. "You don't need to be scared; I love you and I know you love me back. So be brave..." With both of her own, Emily turned Naomi's hand so that her palm was facing up, her wrist with its black ink displayed between them. Emily gently ran her fingertips over Naomi's skin before looking back up at her, brown eyes meeting blue. "Why did you get this? What does it stand for?"

Naomi could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. "I told you already."

"No." Emily shook her head. "Just say it."

Naomi held Emily's pleading eyes with her own. The seconds clicked away as the silence between them stretched on.

Emily was the first to break their eye contact, as she let go of Naomi's hand and took several steps back.

Naomi looked to the skies, shaking her head ever so slightly.

Emily began to walk away.

Naomi let out the breath she had been holding. "Don't do that."

Emily whirled around to face Naomi again. "No, you don't do that. I'm tired, so sick and tired of it." She took the few steps back towards Naomi, ones that would allow her to reach over and take her hand. "All I've ever wanted is for you to just..." Emily's voice cracked as she held back more tears. "There's always going to be this thing between us. It's like we're holding hands through a catflap, isn't it?" Emily's eyes were pleading, hoping that Naomi would give her something, anything.

Her words hit Naomi like a shot, ripping through the last shield of defense that the blonde was struggling to keep a hold of. And with another graceful and practiced movement, Naomi shut down completely, a wall of stone now between them too thick to break through and too high to climb over. She was asking too much of the blonde girl standing before her. Naomi held back her tears, but couldn't will herself to speak. She wanted to say so many things. She hoped that if she were brave enough, she would have said all the right things. But as Emily's eyes changed from pleading to disappointed to cold, her heart closed and her lips ceased to speak. She just wasn't brave enough.

Emily waited for just an extra second longer. "Have fun in Cyprus."

She turned and walked away, giving Naomi the chance to intervene, to call out for her to stop...but nothing came and Emily continued on her way back inside the club.

* * *

The line for the loo was insane at this point of the night, so Emily changed course and headed for the private restroom next to Tony's office, keeping her head down. She didn't want anyone seeing her tears and prayed that she could get out of sight before Katie or Panda or Effy saw her.

As she slipped through the back door and made her way inside, flipping on the light, she was taken by surprise to find Effy standing at the mirror, leaning on the sink, hands clutching the white porcelain, head hanging.

"Effy?" Emily immediately went to her, placing her hands on Effy's thin, cold arms.

"Emily. You came back?" Effy's eyes were glassy and unfocused.

Emily turned her around, checking her for any signs of injury. "What are you doing in here?"

Effy looked up to meet Emily's eyes. "You're crying."

Emily took a step back, trying to pull herself together. "I'm fine."

"She didn't tell you." The pain on Effy's face mirrored that of Emily's.

"What do you do when someone you love lets you down? Really fucks you over?" Emily asked it, knowing Effy was the last person who would have the answer.

"You must try to stop loving them?"

"Is that possible?" Emily's eyes were searching.

Effy's cool blue eyes that were always so guarded, closed off, brightened with intensity. "No, I don't think so." She reached up and placed her hands on either side of Emily's face, her thumbs wiping away the mascara that had run down her cheeks.

Emily held Effy's gaze for just a fraction longer. She saw Effy's eyes glance down at her lips and quickly look away, back into her own eyes.

Their lips collided in a heated kiss, Effy's hands pulling Emily closer, Emily's finding Effy's waist and bringing their bodies together. The kiss was frantic, desperate. Emily's back slam against the wall, Effy's body pinning her there as their hands clawed at each other's clothes.

* * *

**A very important note is the song for the Effy/Emily scene. I've had this track picked out for years now, yes years! We've passed the end of March, therefore we are well into 3 years of Ink. Yay! \o/ Benny Benassi - Love Is Gonna Save Us. So listen to that...**

**Thanks for reading!**


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Hello my little Inklings! The last chapter was rough, I know. I didn't like writing it just as much as you didn't like reading it, but your reviews were spectacular, so thank you to everyone who left one. Your passionate protests to Effy's and Emily's actions really made me smile, filled my heart with happiness, and all that. I felt kind of twisted to be taking delight in your outrage, but it just reminded me of how much we all love **_**OUR **_**Naomily.**

* * *

Chapter 45

It was wrong, all wrong. Everything. Wrong lips. Wrong hands. Wrong body. Wrong girl. Nothing about any of it made Emily forget or feel better, not even slightly. Not so long ago, _this _would have been exactly what she needed, exactly what she wanted, _who _she wanted. Drinks, drugs, getting lost in someone's arms, anyone's arms, _her _arms. But that was before...

Emily placed her palms on Effy's chest and gently pushed her away, breaking their kiss, ending it just as quickly as it began. "Effy..." Her tone filled in the words she left unsaid.

Still holding Emily's soft cheeks, Effy let her hands fall away as she took a step back. She could feel her skin burning where the redhead's palms pushed against the bones in her chest. Her hands found Emily's, her knuckles turning white as she gripped onto them, her head bowed, her eyes squeezed shut; opening them would have been too painful. And there wasn't enough air in the room, each labored breath became harder to take in as her heart pounded beneath her ribs, beneath their two sets of hands. Effy's voice was raw, barely a whisper. "I love you. I always have."

It was only after the words were spoken, a silence hanging in the space between them, that Effy dared to open her eyes, those magnetic steel blue eyes.

From the moment Emily had felt them upon her on that first day of college, her memories of life events had immediately converted to those that had occurred before Effy. While everything that had yet to come in the redhead's world would forever be labeled after Effy. The bits of her past that were B.E. were all in black and white. All the ones that were A.E. were all stereophonic sound and Technicolor...but not this one.

The ugly fluorescent bulbs overhead covered them in harsh light. Emily's brown eyes filled with tears, a sad smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I know." Hearing Effy say those words would have once made Emily's heart skip a beat, but there was no color in those memories now. Those times were _before Naomi_.

The clarity of it all calmed her racing heart and ragged breaths like nothing else ever had. It wasn't shocking, it wasn't even a surprise. Emily could have almost laughed at how simple it all was, if laughing wouldn't have been the most inappropriate response imaginable. "I love her."

There were tears streaming down her face, gut-wrenching sobs overtaking her small frame before she could stop them. The weight of it all was both freeing and burdening as Emily remembered Naomi's silence and cold eyes. She felt Effy's arms wrap around her, pulling her in, tucking her safely under her chin, and holding her there. There was a soft kiss pressed to her crown and Effy's cheek resting against her hair.

Effy squeezed her eyes shut, letting her own tears fall, as she nodded and held Emily tighter. "I know."

* * *

Even though there had been a chill in the air, Naomi hadn't felt the cold. She hadn't registered a single sight or sound or scent. She must have had to cross the road several times on the walk back to her dorm room, but she couldn't remember checking for oncoming cars or looking both ways. It was as if her senses had been switched off or numbed in the same way her thoughts had.

Then, there was the jangling sound of her keys, the click of the latch, and the creak of the door swinging open. The heels of her shoes striking the wood floors with each step and the door closing shut, the lock clicking back into place, she heard those things, but none of it sounded quite right.

She was breathing now; she could feel her lungs fill with air and then deflate. She wasn't certain that she had taken a single breath on the walk home, but she must have. There was a metallic thud as Naomi's keys fell from her hand and dropped to the floor. She stepped out of her heels, her feet feeling deformed as they were pressed flat against the ground, the unnatural position they had been in all night finally releasing. It was like she was beginning to unthaw from her toes up, while also becoming aware of just how frozen she felt as a shiver overtook her body.

Her reflection in the mirror above her dresser caught her off guard. She didn't recognize the girl staring back at her. She felt detached. She turned away, throwing her purse on the bed, and clawed at the zipper of her dress, pulling it open forcefully. She pushed the material down to her waist and over her hips, the whole thing pooling at her feet as she stepped out of it.

The removal of her dress and knickers didn't make Naomi feel any more recognizable as she stood there in the middle of her small room with only the light from the street lamps coming through her window, illuminating her pale skin and eyes. It was the red of her lips that was the most familiar. It was Emily's shade. At some point, it had just made sense to coordinate considering that their respective lipsticks were going to end up on the other's lips straight away regardless.

Her touch was light, just her fingertips ghosting over her bottom lip, as she gazed at the color, almost not understanding what she was seeing until it suddenly clicked. She blinked away her daze, her fingers pressing down and rubbing at her lips urgently. A tissue was pulled from the box on top of the dresser and brought to her mouth, wiping it all away, removing the color. Naomi looked down at the crumpled tissue in her hand, the deep red against the stark white. And then there it was, without fail, those perfect lines made from black ink. For one deluded second, Naomi wondered if the ink could be wiped away like the lipstick had.

The sheets against her skin as she slipped under the covers sent another shiver racing through her body. She waited for the warmth to build as she buried her face in her pillow, clutching the blankets to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut, and all at once the images came flooding back.

It was all replaying in her mind, an endless loop of fragmented conversations and exchanges. The words that had been held captive in her throat as Emily waited for her to reply.

She wanted sleep; she wanted unconsciousness and it came eventually, but not before Naomi whispered to herself, "It's all over."

* * *

There were clothes to be folded and packed. There were boxes to finish filling and labeling and taping shut with the corners of the cardboard perfectly aligned so that the integrity of their structure would not be compromised. _Passport. English to Greek dictionary. Sunscreen. _

Emily had purchased the largest bottle of the highest SPF sunscreen she could find for Naomi as a half-serious, half-kidding gift. _Stop. Think. What else do I need?_

Naomi paced around her room, ticking items off the checklist in her hand. It was early considering how late it was that Naomi had gotten to bed. And also impressive that she was even on her feet due to the blinding hangover she was experiencing thanks to the over-indulgences that are not only allowed, but expected during joyous celebrations.

But it was good. It felt good to have no other choice than to focus on the pain coursing through every cell of her brain and behind her eyes. It helped to only be able to concentrate on the churning of her stomach or the spinning of her head when she stood up too fast or turned to quickly. It felt good to feel something other than the paralyzing sorrow she felt every time she was reminded of Emily. But she couldn't think about Emily. Not right now. _Extra contact solution and my sunglasses._

She placed the items in a neatly arranged row on the top of her perfectly made bed and ticked them off her list.

* * *

The shades covering her bedroom window were dramatically flung open with a clatter of curtain rings scraping across the metal rod. A stunt like this would have not been surprising from her sister, but after cracking just one eyelid to find the dark-haired, blue-eyed form of Effy undoing the latch on the window and pushing it open, Emily promptly buried her face in her pillow mumbling something incoherent.

After hearing no reply, Emily unburied her face and repeated herself. "I said, _bit dramatic_."

"I heard you." Effy lifted herself onto the windowsill and crossed one leg over the other. Emily closed her eyes and let out a sigh that was mixed with a groan and a growl. There was two clicks of a lighter followed by a slow exhale.

"Is there a reason you're sat on my window, smoking my spliff, at..." Emily lifted her head off her pillow just enough to peak at the clock on her nightstand. "Half-past three?"

"You need to get up." Effy brought the spliff to her lips and took a long drag.

"Actually, I don't. I don't have to get up and I don't have to be anywhere. I've finished my term, it's Saturday, I have no papers to write or revision to do. I don't have to do anything. I don't have to get up." Emily, who had been lying on her back, shouting at the ceiling, turned over with a humph, her back to Effy.

The brunette, calm, unaffected by Emily's protests, turned to flick some ash out the window and said, "It's Sunday," before taking another drag.

* * *

"I just don't understand, dear. It was all set for tonight." Gina sat on the bare mattress of Naomi's bed. Her wide eyes tracking Naomi's movements back and forth across the room. "Dinner reservations made, confirmation emails sent out to all parties involved. Not to mention the follow-up call we received from you with the specific statement of_ you and that Irish bastard better not even think about being late to dinner. I can't have Emily thinking my parents don't respect punctuality._"

Naomi busied herself with the last of the items that remained, a few rolled up posters, a plastic storage container left open to accommodate a potted plant and the globe that Gina had given Naomi long before she could even walk or talk. It had been purchased the week before Naomi was born. The base had been engraved with _The world has been waiting for you_ and her birth date. Some of the names of the countries were no longer accurate and the bright colors had faded a bit over the years, but it was one of Naomi's prized possessions.

She gently touched the wrought iron compass that decorated the top of the globe. "Something came up. She has this thing with her family and she forgot about it. I don't know what else you want me to say." Naomi's response was rushed, a bit too vague.

Gina narrowed her eyes at her daughter. There was no possible way that Emily could have double-booked that evening. "You know, love, I've been here almost twenty minutes now and you haven't once stopped moving or looked me in the eye."

The top drawer of Naomi's desk, the one she had already checked and rechecked and rechecked again to make sure it was empty, stopped mid-open, Naomi's hand clutching the pull. She quickly recovered and shut it a bit too forcefully. _I can't do this. _

It had been easy with Cook the previous day; they weren't the type to lock eyes and have meaningful conversations. Naomi had easily convinced him that she was just hungover, not feeling well. So they had watched DVDs on Naomi's laptop and when he had gone out to pick up a pizza and beer while Naomi was packing, he didn't notice her red, puffy eyes and shaky voice. Or if he had, he was kind enough not to mention it. But getting away with this type of evasion was nearly impossible with Gina Campbell in the room.

Naomi took in a sharp, annoyed breath. She steadied her expression, put on the one she used when her mother was being particularly cow-like, and turned toward Gina. "Is that better?" Naomi folded her arms across her chest and cocked her hip.

"That's the face I know and love. Thank you, dear. My concern has been washed away." Gina rolled her eyes as she got up. It wasn't hard to recognize who Naomi had learned it from.

Just as Gina stepped passed the other blonde, the door opened and Cook entered. He looked around the nearly empty room. "Anythin' else going down to the car? Kieran and I've got it packed to perfection down there. Room to spare." Cook's face was beaming with pride.

Both Campbell women just smiled and nodded. They'd never know why men found so much delight in packing up the boot of a car.

"Uh, yeah. Just that one there and the suitcase." Naomi surveyed the room. Cook tucked the storage contain under one arm and pick up the suitcase with the other. "Ya coming down then?"

"Yeah. Go ahead. We'll follow." Cook nodded and left the room. Naomi gathered her cell phone. _Still nothing._ She slid it into her back pocket, the ringer set to high volume and the vibrate function turned on. Gina slung her purse over her shoulder and turned back to Naomi.

Naomi waited for her to move. She was blocking the door after all. She even made a shooing motion with her hands. "We standin' around my empty dorm room all day or what then?"

Gina ignored her gesture and question. "Did I ever tell you about the night you were conceived?"

Naomi braced herself and closed her eyes. "Yes, yes you have. Many times. The first being when I was definitely at too young an age." Naomi stared back at her mother.

"Well, then you should know that not everything in life can be set to plan. Just because something surprises us or comes out of the clear blue sky, it doesn't mean that it's not just as real and just as meant to be as all those things we've got written on the calendar. Especially when it concerns the things that make us the happiest, or even the _people _who make us the happiest."

Naomi's expression had softened as her mother's words sank in. She took hold of her gold watch, turning it back and forth around her wrist nervously.

Gina glanced down at her fidgeting hands. "Don't you usually wear your watch on your left wrist, dear?"

Naomi's eyes flashed back up to Gina's who gave her a sad, yet encouraging smile before turning and walking into the hallway.

* * *

The door to Emily's bedroom opened slowly, a very disheveled redhead appeared from behind it, her hair sticking out in several directions, the remnants of Friday's makeup smeared around her eyes. She had pulled on a pair of shorts and a oversized t-shirt she had found on the floor. It was only after she put it on that she realized it was Naomi's pig shirt. She just didn't have the energy to take it off or so she had told herself.

Effy was in the kitchen, behind the counter, setting out the things needed to make tea.

"Do you know where my phone is?" Emily's voice was hoarse.

At the moment Effy lifted her eyes to meet Emily's, the kettle began to whistle. Effy tipped her chin in the direction of Emily's phone, which was sitting on the coffee table, before turning to attend to the kettle.

Emily flopped down on the couch and reached for her phone. There were numerous missed calls and texts, all from either Katie or their mum. The voice mails would have to wait; Emily didn't have the strength to listen to Katie bitching her out over the phone.

"I spent three hours brunching with your sister this morning. You owe me." Effy poured the steaming water into cups.

"Shit." It dawned on Emily just then. She had slept through Fitch Sister Sunday Brunch. Her brain wasn't processing at it's full capacity. "What did you tell her?"

"That you were having tummy troubles and needed to stay close to home." Effy placed the kettle back on the stove.

Emily held her face in her hands. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

"Exactly." Effy picked up the cups and floated into the living room. She placed one in front of Emily on the coffee table and sat down in the armchair with the other. There was a faint beeping noise. With lightening speed, Emily grabbed her phone and checked for a message. Nothing. She looked back to Effy, dejectedly.

With her eyes pinned to Emily's, Effy reached into the neckline of her top and produced her phone. She glanced at the screen, a hint of a smile ghosting over her lips. She fired off a reply while taking a sip of her tea, and placed her phone on the arm of the chair.

"Who was that?" It was an attempt to sound casual, but Emily failed miserably.

"Cook." Effy took another sip.

"Are you seeing him today?" Again, Emily failed at masking her desperation.

Effy smirked from behind the cheery yellow ceramic cup. "Call her."

Emily looked down to her phone in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the strength of her grip. "I want to. I just..." Emily let it trail off. In all their years together, there had never been a time in which a lot of exposition or explanation was needed to convey their thoughts or state of mind. It was one of the things Emily had always loved about Effy. Especially after spending the first fifteen years of her life with a twin that suffered from _Idon'teverwanttoshutmymouthism_.

"You leave tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"Do you want to see her before you go?

Emily lifted her eyes to meet Effy's. She shook her head and gave a pathetic shrug. "I don't know."

"Don't lie." Effy cut down Emily's reply with impressive aim, her steely eyes holding Emily's gaze.

Emily sat there lost for words. She wanted to tell Effy the truth. She wanted to say that it was causing her physical pain just sitting on this fucking couch and not currently running on foot in bare feet to get to Naomi as fast as humanly possible. She wanted to say with certainty that she knew exactly how to fix all of this and make everything okay again. But honestly, she wasn't certain she could. _And I've got this stupid, bloody, meaningless tattoo to prove it! _Naomi's words reverberated around Emily's skull. She shook it away.

"Maybe we just need some time apart." It's possible that Emily could _not _have sounded less convincing.

"You're working under a false assumption that the sun will always rise and there will always be a tomorrow." Effy got to her feet, collecting her phone and her leather jacket off the back of the chair.

Emily watched her as she made her way to the door, opened it, and turned back to add one more thing.

"Call her. And if she doesn't answer, go to her. And if she won't open the door, sit outside of it until she does."

Effy's gone, the door closing behind her, before Emily could say anything more.

* * *

The front doors of the building were open when she arrived at Naomi's building. Students and presumably, their parents, were scurrying around like ants, carrying moving boxes and futon sofa frames. Emily dodged her way to the elevator, but upon discovering the large group of people all waiting for it to return to the lobby, she darted off towards the stairs instead.

She was a bit out of breath, brutally dehydrated, and only now, as a wave of dizziness hit her, realizing that she hadn't eaten anything since Friday evening. She smiled as she thought about the incredibly romantic dinner Naomi had taken her to for their end of term celebration. She thought about all their wonderful times together.

Emily made her way to Naomi's door. She calmed her breathing and smoothed her freshly showered and styled hair. She took another moment, biting her bottom lip, and raised her fist to the door. She knocked and waited.

No answer.

Knocking on the door again, Emily added, "Naomi, it's Emily." She leaned in closer to the door, listening for any sounds from the other side.

Nothing.

The elevator bell dinged, catching Emily's attention. A tall, thin, acne-faced boy entered the hallway carrying a clipboard and a superiority complex. Upon spotting Emily, he changed his course of action and proceeded towards her.

"You there! Hey you!"

Emily frowned and looked around her. "Me?"

"Yes you. What are you doing in this corridor. The deadline for the fifth floor check out was six o'clock. You're not allowed to be here anymore." The boy had made it down the hall and was now standing in front of Emily, trying to pull off an authoritative stance.

"I don't even go here." Emily stood there defiantly. "What's your name?"

"Crispin." The boy was taken aback by the feisty redhead.

"Crispin what?"

"No, that's it. Just Crispin."

"Well, Just Crispin, I'm looking for Naomi Campbell."

Crispin scoffed and then realized. "Oh right. Yes." He lifted his clipboard and checked the list. "Naomi Campbell returned her key and keyfob today at sixteen hundred hours. That's 4 o'clock Post Meridian."

With Crispin's ridiculously pompous reply, Emily's heart sank. He continued to spout off insignificant information about dormitory check out procedures, but Emily had stopped listening once it was confirmed that Naomi was gone.

* * *

**Something happened recently or may have happened...it's all a bit fuzzy. It's possible that it involved Effy and Naomi and Emily, like, in the future, in London, but it's like my mind just can't get a clear focus on it. Everything seemed out of place, out of character, outrageously terrible. Perhaps it was all just a horrible nightmare. Regardless, I've chosen to pretend like it never happened. On this one, John Foster had the right idea. Let's all just pretend like IT NEVER HAPPENED.**

* * *

**SD Vol. 30**

**1. Express Yourself - Diplo**

Outside and inside the club. A fun club jam and perfect for my favorite hobby, getting low. **(Blondie: Such a great club banger! Even though I am less than impressed with Diplo these days, or should I say Major Lazer, this is still a good jam.)**

**2. Stick Up - DJ Eli **

Emily's song. Now, I love queen Bey and "Diva," but this remix takes that song to another level. It can be a great song for being sexy or for just fun dancing. And this Emily is a female version of a hustler. **(Blondie: Emily is such a hustla!)**

**3. Bougie - Jessi Malay **

Naomi talking to Katie. This one goes out to Katie. I love picking songs for specific characters and this is a total Katie song. If she was a drag queen, this would be what she lip syncs to. **(Blondie: I love this so much for Katie. And you are so right, if Katie Fitch was a drag queen, her name would be Katie Bitch and this would be her signature song.)**


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: Hi! It's me, Blondie. I know, right. Crazy. More on that in the postscript (yes, I'm stealing that from you, script). In fact, this chapter should pretty much be completely credited to scriptmanip, because even though I haven't been writing much lately, I have been studying Naomily A LOT because of her! At the end of the term, when we all have to take our Naomily Finals, I'll be ready. I'm going Ace that shit! I've just re-read Clean Sheet. (Brilliance!) We all already know about Resting on Your Laurels. (Fuck you, for being such a great writer.) And don't even get me started on our book club. So thank you, script, for keeping me on my game, keeping the ideas flowing and the jealously raging and the Naomily feels exploding all over place. You're the coolest minister I know! ;)**

**Recently, scripty weighed in on a debate that 6seats and I have from time-to-time: Which one of us is Emily and which one is Naomi. Even though I'm taller, I will concede that I'm Emily and 6seats is Naomi. (I was outnumbered anyway.) And I think that the most true dynamic of that comparison it that, like Emily Fitch, I've been certain of my love for 6seats from the very beginning and no matter the circumstance, I knew in my heart, I knew in my soul that she was my person. We are meant to be and that's just the way it is.**

**6seats and I are celebrating our two-year anniversary of getting partnered. At the time we signed the papers, in the gayest way possible I might add, marriage equality had been taken away from us in California. I'm so happy that is no longer the case. **

**[I love you, babes. Here's a little something for you to read on your trip home. xoxo ** **B.]**

* * *

Chapter 46

When she woke the next morning, it wasn't due to her alarm sounding or her room filling with the natural light of the morning sun or a text from Katie or a phone call from her mum. It was the sound of a spoon, lightly scraping along the sides of a teacup as it helps to mix the milk and sugar with the tea. As soon as her ears latched onto the sound, Emily also began to stir, moving her limbs a bit under the covers as her body woke up along with her brain.

The stirring sound concluded with a light _tap tap_ against the rim of the cup and then nothing.

Emily hadn't yet opened her eyes, her head still heavy. "I asked for a wake-up call so I wouldn't miss my flight, not a house call." Without even turning to look, she knew who would be occupying her windowsill. The silence in the room told her everything she needed to know.

After a few seconds when there was still no reply, Emily finally flopped over onto her side, blinking rapidly, trying to shake the sleep and blurriness from her eyes.

Effy met Emily's eyes with her own and shrugged, before taking a sip of her tea.

Emily slowly pulled herself up into a sitting position, readjusting the sheets to cover where the thin material of her tank top did nothing to hide the shape of her breasts. It had only been since Naomi that Emily felt compelled to do these types of things when she and the brunette were alone together. Prancing about in see-through tops and knickers in front of Effy hadn't seemed appropriate ever since her heart had been stolen, quite abruptly and unexpectedly, by the blonde.

She reached for her phone, which was plugged in and resting on the table beside her bed. As she checked for texts and sat back against the pillows, Emily's face fell. Not that she had been smiling before, just that the hope that she had harbored before checking seemed to drained away.

"Fuck." Emily threw her phone against the pile of blankets by her feet. "Fuck!" She was suddenly angry again. Not as angry as she had been the night before, after returning from Naomi's empty dorm room and having her calls ignored repeatedly. "She can't fucking do this! She can't just leave. She can't just take off again, not like this." Emily held her face in her hands, feeling exhausted even though she had just woken up.

Effy offered no words of comfort or consolation. Instead, she silently sipped her tea and waited.

Emily sat back, her hands flopping limply into her lap. She looked like she might be on the verge of tears again, but Effy's phone chimed, perking Emily's ears like a pit bull. "Is that Cook?"

Effy peered at the redhead over the rim of her cup; she hadn't even reached for her phone yet. The desperation in Emily's eyes was hard to look at for too long. She glanced away, her tea suspended in air, as she looked down at the screen of her phone. "It's Cook."

Effy read the message, Emily hanging on each second that ticked by.

"They're at a hotel with Naomi's parents. They've ordered room service and Cook's arranged his bacon and eggs to resemble a cock and balls. Would you like to see the photo?" Effy turned her phone toward Emily.

Emily just shook her head, annoyed, angry, sad, she was feeling everything and nothing. She knew that she shouldn't take it out on Effy, not under the current circumstances, but it was easier to be pissed off and Effy was there making sure she got up and didn't miss her flight instead of the person who was _supposed_ to be there, kissing her awake and making her toast and coffee.

"Thanks, Ef. You've been a big fucking help." Emily tried to sound cold, but her voice was almost breaking as she threw off the covers and got out of bed, her back to the window and the brunette. She was out the door and into the bathroom, the door slamming shut and the shower being turned on, before Effy could figure out the right words to say to keep her from leaving.

Effy blinked, then held her eyes shut as she thought about how that seemed to be a recurring theme as of late, not knowing how to make Emily stay.

* * *

"I could have sworn your flight was in the afternoon is all." Gina stood wide-eyed as she watched her daughter stuff her night clothes and makeup bag into her suitcase. The irritation of Gina's questing more than apparent.

Naomi had been avoiding direct eye contact with her mum as much as possible all morning. "Well, I didn't want to bring it up," she zipped the case closed and turned to look at the other blonde, "but, your body has become quite old and decrepit at this point. It was only a matter of time before your mind started to go as well." Naomi tried to hide her smirk. It was much easier to hold her mum's gaze when their exchanges were of the bullshitting variety.

Gina smiled back at her daughter. "You know perfectly well that the day I lost my last remaining marble was the day you pushed your way through my vagina and into the world."

Naomi cringed, her mouth left hanging open in a disgusted sneer. "Firstly, from what I know of the process, it was _you _who was doing the pushing and secondly...gross." Naomi tried to shake away all thoughts that had anything to do with her mother and the word _vagina_.

Gina just chuckled to herself as the handle of the hotel room door rattled, the sound of one of those plastic key cards being forced repeatedly into the card slot and mumbled, Irish-accented cursing could be heard on the other side.

Both Campbells stood rooted to their positions, making no attempt to assist with the door.

The cursing and rattling continued with another voice, this one distinctly Bristolian in nature, offering an instructional, "Ya gotta slide it in an' out slowly, like wit' a bird ya actually fancy."

There was another attempt followed by a quiet beep and the door was triumphantly opened to reveal a grinning Cook and Kieran.

Gina and Naomi, as if rehearsed, rolled their eyes simultaneously and went back to packing up the last of their things.

"If we're being honest, if anyone's to blame for the loss of your mental facilities, it's this one." Naomi tipped her chin in Kieran's general direction.

Gina laughed and looked over to see Kieran's confused and almost hurt expression. "We're just poking fun, dear." She placed her palm on the side of his face and gave his cheek a gentle pat.

Cook made his way over to the bed that Naomi was using to get her things sorted. From about two feet away, he decided to take a flying leap onto the bed, his body bouncing a few times, as well as Naomi's suitcase and neatly packed carry-on. She glared at him as he folded his hands behind his head and relaxed into the fluffy pillows, a boyish grin spreading across his face.

"Well, then. Now that you've gotten _make fun of the Irishman_ out of yer systems for the day, I think we should be heading out soon." Kieran clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels.

"For the day?" Naomi almost raised her left hand to glance at her watch, but caught herself in time, remembering that she was now wearing it on her right. The band did the job nicely, covering up the thing that Naomi just couldn't think about right then. "It's only half seven. We'll be taking the piss at your expense for many hours to come."

Cook tipped his head back and laughed. "Nice one, Naoms!"

Kieran just grumbled a bit before adding, "If it'll wipe that sour frown off your face that you've been wearin' all weekend, then my work here is done. Proverbial punching bag, at your service." Kieran did a little bow, before searching his pockets for his pack of fags and a lighter.

Naomi thought that she had been doing a good job of acting like everything was fine. Apparently not. She quickly bowed her head and went back to checking her luggage to make sure she had everything she was going to need for her trip.

Kieran, Gian, and Cook all exchanged knowing looks.

At dinner, the night before, the second Naomi had gotten up and excused herself from the table to nip to the loo, Gina had pounced on Cook for information. He had picked up on Naomi's foul mood as well, but hadn't had the heart to try to make her tell him what was wrong. A text from Effy had given him all he needed to know. He hadn't wanted to interfere in his mate's personal business, but Gina had always considered him family and family looks out for each other. So by the time Naomi had returned to the table, the mystery of Emily's absence had been solved.

As Kieran made his way over to the sliding door that lead to the balcony, Naomi was all of a sudden in desperate need of a smoke as well. She followed Kieran out and slid the door shut behind them. They posted up against the railing, Kieran offering her one from his pack and a light.

Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, Naomi held her cigarette between her fingers and rubbed at her eyebrow with her thumb.

Kieran gave Naomi a sideways glance as he lit his own and took a long drag. After a few additional drags, he made an attempt to breach the silence. "So...Cyprus, ey?"

It was a rhetorical question; Naomi knew it had to be. Kieran already knew the answer so there was no need for her to reply or confirm it in any way. Instead she took another pull and looked out over the city.

Kieran took the hint. "Well, just remember that summer vacations never seem to last long enough. Before ya know it, August will be here and you'll be right back in it, starting a new year, with new classes, and a whole new batch of those little shit fuckers they call students."

Naomi couldn't hold back a scoff. Kieran's hatred for teaching and education had always been a source of entertainment.

Seeing that he had been able to make Naomi smile, even just temporarily, gave Kieran the courage to continue on with his pep talk. "And who knows, maybe in a few months...you'll get the chance to…right whatever wrongs you may or may not have committed against a third party or perhaps, if it was the third party that wronged you, then she, or he, perhaps, would get the chance to right those wrongs...that they committed against you...in a month or two...when school starts up again, that is."

Kieran was really struggling by the end to make his statement seem vague and generic and not at all personal to Naomi in any way. He failed.

Naomi narrowed her eyes at the bumbling fool and couldn't help but feel even more fond of him for his ridiculous attempt to make her feel better. Out of all the men in the world that were complete wankers and idiots, at least her mum had picked one that also had a good heart.

She took one last drag and stubbed her cigarette out on the railing. As she turned to go back inside, she paused with her fingertips resting on the door handle. "Thanks, Kieran." There was so much sincerity in her eyes that it almost eclipsed the sadness that they also held..._almost_.

Kieran had to look away, as he cleared his throat and waved his hand at her like it was nothing. "I'll be just a puff or two away from following ya." He held up the last bit of his fag. "Go make sure you've got your passport or what have ya."

Naomi nodded, a small smile prying at the corners of her mouth, and disappeared back inside.

* * *

**I truly get the asshole award for this chapter. And, I'll tell you why! I wrote what you read above in AUGUST. It then sat on my computer unfinished, or so I thought, until today. I opened it up to work on it and read back what I already had down and got to the end and realized...the chapter was over. It was already done. The scenes I had planned out are for the next chaper. So, since August, I've been thinking that I had to come back and finish 46 off...then I could post it. **

**Me=Asshole. So sorry, my little Inklings! As I'm sure you all know by now, I never mean to leave this much time between updates. It's just how it is, the nature of the beast, the destined path. Just like my love for all of you. **

**If you can find it in your beautiful hearts to once again forgive my glacieric writing pace, please let me know what you thought of the chapter. I know it has been many, many scenes without interaction between our girls, but that's kind of the point. They're apart. They're both miserable. And they're both at a loss as to what to do…some more than others. I'm looking at you, Naomi. Answer your damn phone, girl! Sheesh! She's just so stubborn and stupid sometimes, that beautiful idiot. And yet, I can't help but love her...just like Emily.**

**Until next time…**


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